The Chamber of Secrets
by 2fast2live
Summary: (Part Two of series) - The second year at Hogwarts has started and it seems like the Heir of Slytherin wants to spice things up a bit. Naturally, it's up to Harry and his friends to sort things out.
1. Old Friends and Enemies

**Saluuut beautiful people! I am back with part 2 of this loooong fic lol. And we're heading on to the second year at hogwarts. EVERYBODY SCREAM! \o/ **

**I wasn't actually planning to get started on this so soon, but oh well. I figured ~ why not! I'd like to thank those who reviewed the last chapter of the previous story. You're all amazing! *-* **

**I'm not sure if I have anything to comment just yet. So lets just get onto it! **

**Summary - The second year at Hogwarts has started and it seems like the Heir of Slytherin wants to spice things up a bit. Naturally, it's up to Harry and his friends to sort things out. **

**Ehem, I only own Jessica, Josh, Anna, Elena, Athos... And a few others which you might meet along the way! The rest belongs to the lovely J.K Rowling. ^^**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Old Friends and Enemies**

Jessica stomped away, huffing angrily. She was definitely out for the kill and whoever got in her way would feel her wrath.  
"Draco Malfoy!" She shouted.  
Draco held back his laughter when he noticed she was covered in eggs and flour. It was definitely the greatest end of summer present possible.  
"You look interesting." He snarled.  
"You're in for it now." She said angrily. "You do realize the party starts in ten minutes, don't you?"  
"I guess that means you won't make it. I'll have to charm Lady Cattleboot all by myself." Draco smirked. "You lose."  
Jessica groaned and ran straight towards the blond boy, throwing herself onto him. He tried to fight her off without getting his clothes dirty but it was already too late. The two rolled around on the floor screaming, kicking, slapping and punching each other. Neither stopped when Narcissa screeched in horror.  
"What is the meaning of this?" She shouted. The two paid no attention to Mrs. Malfoy whatsoever.  
Athos ran into the room and pulled his daughter off the Malfoy child. She was kicking and squirming and trying to pull out his hair. Elena screeched just as loudly as Narcissa had.  
"What on Earth is-"  
"He did this!" Jessica shouted. "He wants Lady Cattleboot all to himself _and _he ruined my dress!"  
"Well you ruined my clothes too!" Draco shouted, as equally loudly.  
"You're a fowl little-"  
"Enough!" Athos stated as he placed his daughter back on the ground. "Neither of you will be seeing Lady Cattleboot tonight."  
"But-"  
"I said _enough_." Athos ordered, interrupting both children. "Go to your rooms."

"I hate you." Jessica hissed. "This is all your fault anyway."  
"You started it." Draco stated. "If only you'd kept to yourself we wouldn't be in this mess."  
"You're the one that threw all this on me!" She complained. "I should be the one seeing Lady Cattleboot. You didn't even know of her existence before I told you."  
"Well I wasn't about to take the entire blame just so you could meet some random old woman." Draco muttered.  
"She's not a random old woman." Jessica said in shock. "She's a true heroine and I admire her work."  
"With muggles." Draco said, rolling his eyes.  
"I don't understand why that bothers you. The only reason why we're free to walk around is because of her and her courage." She stated, doing her best to sound just like Hermione would.  
Draco sighed and walked into his room without looking back. Jessica stared at his closed door for a few seconds before sighing and heading back to her own room. She still couldn't believe Draco ruined her dress.

_**A few weeks earlier...**_

"Jessica! Mum wants to know if you've packed your things yet." Anna said, walking into her sisters room without knocking. Like she normally would do.  
"Yes I have. And I've already asked Clarissa to take everything downstairs." Jessica said calmly. "Are you sure you can't go with us?"  
"Positive." Anna smiled. "After breaking things off with Richard, I need some _me _time."  
"I still could break his nose you know." Josh shouted as he ran past the door. The two girls laughed in response.  
"I guess I could consider the option if necessary." Anna muttered.  
"But France will be a great place for you to relax." Jessica insisted. "Please reconsider."  
"France is too romantic. I'd much rather go somewhere more historical... Like Egypt!" Anna grinned. "But I'll see you before the end of summer. I promise."  
"Fine." Jessica sighed.

Jessica quickly found Brownie and attached a letter to him.  
"Take this to Harry Potter and don't leave until you're certain he's read it." She smiled and let the owl fly off. Harry had promised her he'd write and so far she's had no notice of him. She silently hoped his family was treating him kindly.  
"Jessica! We have to get going!" Elena called out. Jessica adjusted her clothes and ran down the stairs, skipping a few on the way.

x.x

St. Pancras Station was fully packed with people eager on travelling. Amongst the crowd of muggles, Jessica spotted three blonds. They all looked terrified at the amount of people around them. Jessica knew all too well how the Malfoy's felt about muggles being around them so naturally, she had to make sure she held in her laughter.  
"Good morning. Took you long enough to arrive." Lucius said irritably.  
"You shouldn't whine so much, you'll end up with wrinkles." Athos smiled. "Let's get going before we miss the train."

Draco waited for Jessica to reach him before he started walking. He had an evil smirk plastered on his face and was mentally counting the seconds before Jessica would finally ask him why.  
"I'm not interested, Draco." She smirked.  
"Oh come on... I know you're curious." He said.  
"Fine. Why do you have such an evil look on your face?" She sighed.  
"Because we're all staying at Cattleboot House."  
Jessica froze at the door, blocking Draco's entrance. She turned to look at him with her eyes wide.  
"Are you sure? Isn't that house haunted?" She whispered.  
"So they say... But that's where we'll be staying." He smirked. "Hope you're not scared, Selwyn. I'd hate to have you screaming through the night."  
"I thought we were calling each other by our first names." Jessica said, rolling her eyes.  
"Either way, you should beware." He smirked once again when she jumped. He was definitely going to enjoy his summer holiday.

Jessica didn't move during the whole train ride. She didn't even bother to snarl when the lady at the bar started chatting up her brother. She suddenly wished she didn't have to go to France. Perhaps it wasn't too late to go to Cairo with Anna. Nothing like learning about ancient civilization before starting a new school year.  
"Sweetheart, are you feeling alright? You've been awfully quiet." Elena said, as she placed a chicken and sweetcorn sandwich on the table.  
"I'm fine... Just wondering about what we'll be doing in France." She sighed. "Is it true we're staying at the haunted house?"  
"Haunted house?" Elena laughed. "There's nothing haunted about Cattleboot House darling. Where did you get that idea from?"  
"Mr. Malfoy told Draco, Blaise and I last time we were there!" Jessica pouted. "And we even saw an old lady in the window!"  
"Well of course you did." Elena smiled. "That was Lady Claire Cattleboot. She lives there and she's a very nice woman and considered a hero to some."  
"A hero?" Jessica asked curiously.  
"Yes! Many years ago a small war broke out between wizards. Many didn't believe muggles deserved to live when wizards existed and began extermination. Few wizards, Lady Cattleboot included, stood against those rebels and fought to protect the muggles. Lady Cattleboot worked alongside Queen Victoria to drive the evil wizards away."  
"But that would mean Queen Victoria knew of wizards." Jessica said confused. "And that would make Lady Cattleboot very old."  
"Yes, she's quite old." Elena laughed. "It did take quite some convincing, but apparently Queen Victoria developed a love interest in the wizard Peter Olsen."  
"What happened during the war?"  
"It was reasonably civilized, given the amount of power the wizards possessed to their advantage. Lady Cattleboot stood her ground and fought off almost everyone. To this day she's highly respected amongst others. After they'd won, Queen Victoria suggested the wizards had their own sub category of politics."  
"The Ministry." Jessica concluded.  
"Exactly." Elena smiled. "If it weren't for her, we'd possibly still be at war."  
"Wow... But why did Mr. Malfoy say it was haunted?" Jessica wondered.  
"Well she's not a big fan of little children running around her house." Elena smiled. "But I do believe you and Draco are old enough to behave yourselves."

x.x

Narcissa practically pushed the two children out of the house once they arrived. Draco was quite eager to explore the garden outside and he also wanted to know what Jessica had to tell him. They both agreed on a nice shade under a big willow tree.  
"So start talking Jess, I haven't got all day." Draco annoyingly stated.  
Jessica sighed and told him Lady Cattleboot's story. He listened intently as she did and took the opportunity to realize her hair was slightly longer than he last remembered.  
"So this place isn't really haunted?" Draco frowned.  
"Wow... After all that, you only think about this place being haunted?" Jessica rolled her eyes. "You seriously have a strange way of thinking."  
"No... Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to know that I am free to torment people thanks to Lady Cattleboot standing her ground but I really don't understand why she'd do all that for muggles." Draco shrugged.  
"Draco, Draco, Draco." Jessica sighed. "I have so much to teach you."  
"Oh shut it Selwyn. When will our ancient tradition of pranks start?" Draco smirked. "I still owe you from last time."  
"Oh you mean when you screamed like a terrified little girl?" Jessica grinned.  
"You better be careful, Selwyn. Blaise isn't around to tell me to go easy on you." He approached her slightly. "And I'm sure I have my ways of torturing you."  
"I'd like to see you try, Malfoy." She smirked.  
Draco grinned and tackled her to the ground. He climbed over her and tickled her stomach, making her laugh uncontrollably. He managed to hold her down for a good two minutes before she accidently kneed him. He fell to the side in pain as she recovered from her laughter.  
"I'm so sorry." She said, trying to sound worried while controlling her breathing at the same time. Draco was making a funny noise so she couldn't tell whether he was laughing or crying. "Draco?"  
He tackled her once again and repeated his previous attack.  
"You're going down, Selwyn."

x.x

Narcissa quietly set the table while Elena took the food out of the oven.  
"It's almost strange seeing you cook." Athos remarked as he entered the room. "Hope it tastes good."  
"I still know how to cook, darling." Elena said, rolling her eyes.  
"I recall your cooking being the best." Narcissa smiled. "You still must teach me how to make pork stew."  
"Remind me again when we get home." Elena grinned. "We could have a cook off or something."  
"Oh no... Not another one of your kitchen competitions." Athos groaned. "Count me out."  
"You're always counted out." Narcissa stated, slapping the back of his head as he walked past her. "I wonder if Valerie would be up for a challenge."  
"Oh please, Valerie is busy getting married again." Elena groaned. "And I seriously thought husband number five was a keeper."  
"Well who knows, perhaps number six will be." Narcissa laughed.

"They still haven't mentioned Lady Cattleboot." Jessica whispered, as she tried to balance herself on Draco's shoulders.  
"Good. Can you get off me now?" Draco complained.  
"Right sorry." She said quietly. "I have an idea though."  
"Here we go." He groaned.  
"I suggest we have a little competition of our own." She smirked. "Winner takes all."  
"I like that evil mind of yours." Draco grinned. "But I think we should see who can prank the most."  
"Fine... Who will judge?"  
"I'll be happy to do that." Josh said, as he jumped down the stairs. "I've got nothing better to do anyway."  
"As long as you don't favour your sister, I'm fine with it." Draco stated.  
"I'll favour those who manage to impress me. I warn you, I'm very picky when it comes to pranking." Josh said proudly.  
"No worries... We'll manage." Jessica grinned.

x.x

Three weeks went by faster than ever. The first beautiful prank was pulled off by Draco. He'd managed to convince Elena that there was a spooky cloaked man searching for her. She'd spent two whole days looking as if she'd seen a ghost. He eventually felt bad and told her it was all part of a prank war that was going on. Apparently they were to take no prisoners. He was quite thankful that she decided not to tell on him and simply warned him that next time she wouldn't be so forgiving.

The second prank was Jessica's. Lucius was stuck to the dining room chair for three whole hours. Everyone tried and tried but nothing would help. Eventually the chair literally spat him out. He landed a few metres away, with his legs in the air.

Due to proper use of Weasley products and because it was downright hilarious, Josh declared his younger sister as the winner of round one.

Jessica got the chance to start off the second round of pranks and her next target had to be Narcissa. She was quite reluctant to do anything because Narcissa Malfoy was genuinely a nice person. Apparently, Narcissa couldn't wait until the holidays were over to learn how to make Elena's famous Pork Stew. Jessica didn't care that much for it so she felt no guilt in ruining it. Narcissa was fairly disappointed that no one liked it and Jessica later apologized for her actions. Narcissa made Pork Stew again the next day and discovered that she was actually quite good at it.

Draco's next target wasn't going to be an easy one. Athos was very much aware of their little tradition of pranking. He was the one responsible for it, after all. Mr. Selwyn definitely regretted ever telling the children about his adventures as a Gryffindor prankster prince. Draco decided not to be original at all and remembered one of Athos' old pranks. He allowed a tiny drop of happy potion drop into Athos' morning coffee and waited for his prank to commence. Mr. Selwyn spent the entire day chirping around, skipping, jumping and quite frankly, annoying the heck out of Elena.

Joshua gladly declared Draco as the winner for round two.

"Children, a word please." Elena said, after the three youngsters finished clearing the table. "Lady Cattleboot will be returning home this weekend. There will be a nice homecoming party for her so I suggest the three of you tone down the pranking."  
"No problem mum." Josh grinned. "Would Lady Cattleboot like a welcome home cake?"  
"I mean it Joshua." Elena said sternly. "Any funny business and you'll be sent straight home."  
"Fine." Josh sighed.  
Elena smiled and left them to take care of the kitchen.

"You do realize this gives you two only two days to come up with a victory." Josh stated, once he was certain his mother was out of hearing range.  
"I think we should call it quits. Mum will kill us if we pull anything else." Jessica sighed.  
"Since when do you chicken out of things?" Draco smirked.  
"I'm not being chicken, stupid." Jessica said, sticking her tongue out.  
"You two _seriously _need to get married one day." Josh grinned, before exiting the room.  
Draco and Jessica concluded their chores in complete silence after that comment.

x.x

Brownie finally found Cattleboot House that night. He had letters from Ron and Hermione but nothing from Harry. Jessica frowned at her owl.  
"Did you at least insist for him to write back?"  
The owl hooted anxiously and Jessica decided to try her luck on the others.

_Hello Jess!  
How's everything in France? Fred and George told Ron, who told me, that Draco Malfoy's there with you. I hope he isn't giving you a hard time. Have you heard from Harry? He still hasn't sent me anything. I can't wait to see you again! Hopefully this year will be less traumatic! _

_Hermione. _

_Hi Jess! Sorry I haven't written in while. I just can't be bothered really. Is it true Malfoy's with you? Make sure he knows that I'll punch his nose if he bothers you. Hope you're having fun in France. _

_Ron. _

Jessica smiled at the two letters. She decided she'd write them a reply in the morning. Brownie needed his rest.  
"Hope I'm not interrupting the reunion." Draco said quietly as he walked into the library.  
"No... I just finished reading." Jessica smiled.  
"Were you serious about calling it quits?" Draco eventually asked. "I won't mind. The final round was always the hardest."  
"Yeah." She laughed. "I won't mind sharing the scoreboard with you this year."  
"Next time it's on though." He laughed. "What's it going to be like at school?"  
"Same as always. You'll dislike my friends and I'll dislike yours." She sighed. "Or we could make a change and try to get along."  
"I doubt it. I can't stand _Potter_." Draco said, rolling his eyes. "He thinks he's so amazing."  
"He doesn't actually." Jessica smirked. "You're just jealous of his success."  
"I'm jealous he gets you all to himself." Draco muttered.  
Jessica stared at him for a while. The only light in the room was the fire in the corner. He definitely looked handsome in that light.  
"I'll always be your friend first." She replied quietly. She gathered her letters and allowed Brownie to jump on her arm. "Good night, Draco."

x.x

"Jess! Jess wake up!" Draco said eagerly. Jessica groaned in response. "Wake up already!"  
"What could you possibly want at this hour?" Jessica whined.  
"I overheard my dad talking to your dad about Lady Cattleboot. It seems like she's searching for someone to tutor in magic!"  
"What!" Jessica shouted. Draco covered her mouth with his hand instantly.  
"Keep it down, would you?" He hissed. "Now I want you to keep to yourself at the party while I show her why I'd be the ideal student."  
"Have you lost your mind? I'll be the one to gain her attention." Jessica said proudly. "Now leave so I can get my beauty sleep."  
Draco rolled his eyes as Jessica pushed him off and closed her eyes. He silently watched as she drifted off to sleep once more. Draco remembered how he would watch her fall asleep when they were children.

Jessica spent most of her day choosing what to wear for Lady Cattleboot. Elena helped her throughout most of it all, before she decided to head off and choose her own outfit. Draco tried to sneak a peek every now and then.  
"It's getting rather annoying now, Draco." Jessica sighed.  
"I'm just curious to know what you'll be wearing." He smirked. "Not that it'll matter. Lady Cattleboot would much rather teach me."  
"Dream on _Slytherin Prince_." Jessica stated. "Why would she care for someone as stuck up as you?"  
"Why would she care for someone so self conscious like _you_?"  
"I am not self conscious!"  
"Actually you are. I don't understand why though." Draco said, studying Jessica's features.  
"Would you stop doing that?" Jessica said, slapping his arm. "I am not self conscious."  
"Fine. Whatever you say." Draco sang as he left the room. "But you're still going to lose."  
"It's not a competition!" Jessica called out.

Josh decided to help Narcissa with dinner that evening. He was beginning to feel too bored around the house. Not seeing Draco and Jessica pranking everyone in their grasp was getting the best of him. He'd definitely have to spice things up a bit. He smirked to himself as he seasoned his sister's plate.

Jessica quickly ran out of the dining room and into the kitchen. She was certain everyone's eyes were on her. Josh watched her take a bite of her spaghetti and instantly burn up. It took a lot of will power to not start laughing that very moment. Jessica finally found milk and drank as much as she could. Eventually the burning died down and she focused on controlling her breathing.  
"Should I even ask?" Athos sighed when he realised she'd drank all the milk.  
"Stupid pranks." She muttered.  
"Don't do anything you'll regret young lady." Athos warned. Jessica groaned to herself as she opened another milk bottle.  
"You're going down, Malfoy." She said to herself.

x.x

Draco practically had a heart attack when he woke up and saw Jessica staring at him.  
"This is a bit creepy, don't you think?" He stated.  
"I've just come to make sure you're feeling ok. You washed your hair last night, didn't you?" She smiled.  
"Yes..." Draco replied cautiously. "Why?"  
"Now we're even." She smirked and left the room.  
Draco desperately ran a hand through his hair to make sure it was all still there. What could she possibly be talking about? He quickly got out of bed and headed towards the mirror.

Jessica shut the door behind her and leaned against it. She held in her laughter when she heard Draco scream loudly. She was too distracted to realise he opened the door behind her. He managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. But he didn't let go.  
"What are you playing at? I thought we called it quits." He said angrily.  
"I should be asking you the same thing apparently."  
"What are you talking about?" He slightly blushed when he realised he was still holding her.  
"Don't be daft." Jessica chuckled. "I'll see you later."  
Jessica pushed herself off Draco and skipped off.  
"Oh you'll definitely be seeing me later." He muttered.

"Draco! What on Earth-"  
"It's nothing mum. Bad shampoo." He muttered angrily.  
"Well there's no time to wash it off... Perhaps I could fix it." She sighed.

After Draco's hair was back to its natural blond, he quickly prepared his final attack. He'd advised Josh about his pink hair, which made the Selwyn laugh hysterically. But he wasn't about to lose this game. He'd win the prank war _and _get Lady Cattleboot's attention.

Jessica cautiously walked out of her room. She'd finally managed to fix her hair and couldn't risk anything taking it out of place. All that mattered was Lady Cattleboot wanting to tutor her and not Draco. She slowly walked down the hallway and spotted her silver bracelet on the floor. She sighed and went to pick it up. As soon as she touched it, she felt eggs crack on her head and shoulders and flour pour onto her.

x.x

Jessica was busy drying her hair when Draco knocked on her door. He didn't bother to wait for her to reply and simply walked in. Jessica quickly wiped away her tears and stared at him angrily through the mirror.  
"The smell of eggs hasn't gone. I'm going to have to wash my hair _again_."  
"I'm sorry." Draco sighed. "Josh was the one that spiced up your food. Not me."  
"What?" Jessica said in shock. "Why would he do that?"  
"Because he was bored, apparently." Draco smiled. "Though I'll admit it was on my level of pranking."  
"More like you're on _his _level." Jessica said, still irritated by the smell of eggs.  
"So... What will Gryffindor's prankster princess do now?"  
"_Gryffindor's prankster princess_? That's cheesy." She smiled. "Fine... I'm sorry I died your hair pink. It suited you though."  
"And I'm sorry about your hair, your dress, your shoes and your opportunity to please Lady Cattleboot." Draco listed. "Besides, she already had taken interest in Anna."  
The two laughed. They should've known Lady Cattleboot would choose someone smart and determined like Anna Louise.  
"Friends?" Jessica asked worriedly.  
"We'll always be." Draco said, pulling her into a hug.

Joshua woke up the following morning with pink hair and eggs and flour all over him. Jessica and Draco exchanged high fives before racing downstairs and heading outside for a quick game of badminton.

* * *

**PHEW! Glad that madness is over... Or is it? Well, there's still loads more to come! I'll see you all next chapter! Don't forget to review so I know how you're feeling about this!**

**xoxo ! **


	2. Train Ride

**I'M HERE! I'm sooooooo sorry that I took so long to write this. Truly am! Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR MY LOVELY READERS! You are all Shamazing (and if you've not watched X Factor UK 2012, you won't understand)! **

**As for reviews, (I'm so happy I've got some) thank you sooo much ~ MeBeJustMe (love the name btw. And again, sorry it took so long!); MegAllard (Giirll, desculpa a demora! :p vou pedir desculpas pra todos. Mas enfim, tem mais Josh pra voce! E tem um pouco de Anna e... dumdumdum... LILA! *-* Ok, divirta-se lendo!); Chuu112 (yeey *-* again, sorry for the delay! ;x); **

**usuihentai727 - Ok... First I should tell you that I've actually planned ALL seven years of this story, waaay before I started writing the first part. There are certain things I cannot tell you just yet ;x - Because I'm mean! - LOL But... At the moment there are no correct pairings, well... I know what the correct pairings are but like I said, I cannot tell you! lol I can tell you that Ginny will still be the one that opened the Chamber BUT the readers will discover a few things about Jess this year.. and ONLY the readers, cause the characters will only figure this out in the future, and they do involve the Chamber and blabla... She won't exactly become Snape's official favourite, however Snape will take a liking into her... But for a certain reason... Which you'll find out eventually! Confusing? I hope not - not much at least! And thaaank you so much for your review, I'm really glad you liked the first one. **

**Anyway, let's get to it, shall we? Enjoy! *-***

* * *

**Train Ride**

Anna was glad she finally managed to take siblings out before school started. She was still extremely emotional about not being in Hogwarts anymore and couldn't miss a single moment.  
"I promised Percy I'd give him my personal notepad, so I'm taking you both to the burrow with me later, ok?" Anna stated, as the driver pulled against the curb on Oxford Street.  
"Great! I bet Mrs. Weasley will go insane if I join forces with Fred and George." Josh grinned.  
"You better behave yourself, Joshua. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry and the last thing I need is any form of embarrassment."  
"Besides, I figured you'd be traumatized after Draco and I died your hair pink." Jessica smirked.  
"I could never deny my inner darkness." Josh sighed.

Anna silently dragged the two younger Selwyn's across the crowded street. She soon spotted her favourite restaurant, hidden in one of the corners. Jessica eagerly ordered a beautiful plate of Gnocchi al Bolognese.  
"So tell me all about your holiday." Anna beamed.  
"Draco and I got into a prank war and he completely ruined my dress." Jessica pouted.  
"I watched and laughed." Josh smirked.  
"Did you talk to Lila at all during the holidays?" Anna sang.  
Josh chocked on his Spaghetti and veggies and blushed slightly. He had exchanged a few letters with his school crush but it wasn't likely he'd be giving his sisters any details.  
"I bet you miss her the most." Jessica mocked.  
"We're just friends." Josh mumbled.  
In reality they were just friends, at least for the time being. Josh had developed a crush on the Slytherin on his very first year. She'd helped him with some of his Transfiguration assignments.  
"Sure you are." Anna smirked. "You should find the courage to ask her out. Go get some butterbeers in Hogsmede or something."  
"I wish I could go to Hogsmede... Having to wait another year is just cruel." Jessica sighed.

x.x

The three Selwyn's eventually managed to get to the Burrow, via portkey. Josh ran up to the house and eagerly knocked on the door. Neither he nor Jessica knew whether or not the Weasley's were expecting them.  
"Joshua darling! So good to see you!" Molly Weasley shouted happily.  
Fred and George came running downstairs and greeted their dear old friend with tight hugs. Anna and Jessica were happily hugged by Mrs. Weasley before entering the household. Harry and Ron came out of the kitchen once they realised the three familiar faces walking in.  
"Harry!" Jessica squealed excitedly. She ran and embraced him tightly.  
"Geez, I missed you too, you know." Ron mumbled.  
"Oh come over here!" Jessica grinned, giving her red head friend a hug just as tight.

Percy didn't hesitate on asking about the notepad and after a little bit of teasing, Anna handed it over.  
"Great, now he's going to think he's even more important." Ron mumbled.  
"Is the notepad special or something?" Harry asked, obviously not understanding the situation.  
"No... But getting a gift from the Head Girl or Boy is usually a big deal, for some reason." Jessica shrugged.

Ron eventually managed to drag Harry and Jessica outside. Harry told her all about Dobby, the house elf, and how he kept hold of all his letters, told him he shouldn't go back to Hogwarts and got him into terrible trouble with the Dursley's.  
"Well, I guess you're forgiven for not answering me during the holidays. As for Dobby..." Jessica pouted and thought carefully on what she could say.  
"Are you going to finish or leave us hanging?" Ron said, waving his hand around.  
"I... No, it's nothing. I thought I knew who Dobby was but I'm possibly mistaken." Jessica smiled.  
"We all think it could be Malfoy's. You used to be friends with him... Do you know if he has any house elves?" Harry asked.  
"No idea." Jessica shrugged.  
"Well if you ever figure anything out, let us know." Ron insisted.

They'd agreed to meet up at Diagon Alley the very next day, to buy their books for their second year. Hermione had answered one of Ron's letters and agreed to go also. Even her parents wanted to join in and meet the other wizard families. Jessica gave her two best friends and big hug before leaving.

"The Malfoy's are up to something." Josh whispered, as Jessica was busy saying goodbye to her friends.  
"You mean what happened to Harry, don't you?" Anna sighed.  
"Dobby's still their house elf. I doubt Lucius would free him. Do you think you can figure it out?" Josh wondered.  
"I'll try. Don't tell Jessica though. She won't know what to do and might end up getting into a huge argument with her friends."

x.x

"I need a Standard Book of Spells – Grade 2; Break with a Banshee, by Gilderoy Lockhart; Gadding with Ghouls, by Gilderoy Lockhart; Holidays with Hags by... All these books are by the same person." Jessica groaned. "The new DADA teacher must be a fan."  
"No need for teasing, darling." Elena smiled. "Besides, according to his books, Lockhart's accomplished quite a lot."  
"I don't believe any of it." Josh muttered as he pushed passed his mother and sister. "Just look at him! He's all fancy and snobbish. I doubt he spent a year with a Yeti."  
"A Yeti?" Jessica laughed.  
"Rubbish or not, your new teacher chose those books so I suggest you both respect his or her decision." Athos stated.

Mr. Selwyn was still a bit moody because of the mess they had all caused during the holidays, but was easing up slightly as time passed.  
"Where do you suppose Harry and Ron will meet us?" Jessica wondered as she looked around the crowds of people. It was times like these where she wished she could be as tall as Hagrid.  
"Arthur mentioned they'd be travelling by Floo Powder." Athos mentioned, also looking around to see if he spotted anyone familiar.  
"Harry's possibly never used Floo Powder before." Jessica said, worriedly.  
"Lucky." Josh mumbled.  
"Why don't you all go ahead? I have some old family antiques to sell." Elena smiled.  
Athos frowned once he realised his wife meant entering the gloomy shop, also known as Borgin and Burkes.

x.x

Harry coughed as he got out of the fireplace. He had no idea where he was but hoped he wasn't far from the Weasley's. Travelling by Floo Powder definitely hadn't been his favourite. He was completely covered in soot and his glasses were broken. All he wanted was to leave. He managed to get halfway towards the door before he spotted two people standing just outside. One of them happened to be the one person he wished would never see him in such a state. He looked around the room and soon spotted a large black cabinet. He quickly hid inside, leaving just a slight crack opened so he could see. Seconds later, the bell on the door rang and Draco Malfoy stepped in.

The man who followed could only be his father. He had the same blond hair, ice cold eyes and pointed nose. Mr. Malfoy looked lazily around the objects before ringing the bell on the counter.  
"Touch nothing, Draco." He muttered.  
"I thought you were going to buy me something." Draco stated as he stared at an eyeball in a glass jar.  
"I said I'd buy you a racing broom." Mr. Malfoy said, irritably.  
"What good is that if I don't make the house team?" Draco mumbled. "Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two-thousand last year, thanks to Dumbledore, just so he could play on the Gryffindor team. He's not even _that _good."

Draco's slight tantrum was interrupted by another customer entering the shop. It was a beautiful woman, with dark blonde hair tied up in a bun and chocolate brown eyes. Harry thought she looked terribly familiar.  
"Elena, good to see you... Ah! Mr. Borgin." Lucius smiled.  
"Good to see you – and you, Mr. Borgin." Elena cautiously walked around the shop, observing every object. She soon spotted Draco going through the shelves full of skulls. "They're hideous."  
"They're actually quite fascinating." Draco smirked. "Is Jess with you?"  
That's when it clicked in Harry's mind. That woman was Jess' mother. He'd met her only a few weeks ago at King's Cross. But what was she doing in such a strange place and why was she so extremely friendly with the Malfoy's?  
"She's getting her books and what not." Elena nodded.  
"Did you hear about Gilderoy Lockhart? He's going to be their new teacher this year." Lucius said, as he walked towards her.  
"I personally believe Hogwarts deserves much better than Lockhart." Elena smirked.  
"You speak as if you know more than you should."  
Mrs. Selwyn didn't answer him back. Instead she smiled and made her way towards the counter. She handed Mr. Borgin a small box and sold it to him for a fair amount of money. Mr. Malfoy proceeded to hand in a few items of his also.

"I'm assuming the Ministry will be visiting you soon." Elena smirked.  
"They have grown much more meddlesome."  
"Surely they wouldn't disturb you sir!" Mr. Borgin assured.  
"The Malfoy name still holds certain power, but I believe they've started a Muggle Protection Act. No doubt that fleabitten, Muggle-loving fool, Arthur Weasley, is behind all this." Lucius spat.  
Harry felt his face heat up. How dare he talk about Arthur Weasley in such a manner. The Weasley's were one of the kindest people he knew!  
"Well everyone's entitled to their own opinions." Elena smiled.  
"You don't fool anyone with that little act of yours, Graham." Lucius said, coldly.  
"It's _Selwyn_, Lucius. You would do well to remember that."  
Elena gathered the money from her items and left the shop, waving goodbye after she was already outside.

"Can I have this?" Draco asked, drawing the attention back to him and a withered hand on its cushion.  
"Ah! The Hand of Glory!" Mr. Borgin chirped, abandoning Lucius Malfoy by the counter. "Insert a candle and it give light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers. Your son has good taste sir!"  
"I hope my son turns out to be more than a mere thief or plunderer, Mr. Borgin." Lucius said, arrogantly.  
"Yes sir! No offense sir!" Mr. Borgin laughed, nervously.  
"Of course, if his grades don't get better-"  
"It's not my fault! The teachers all have their favourites, like that Hermione Granger." Draco whined.

"I would've expected you to be ashamed, that a girl with no wizardry background has ended her first year with a better result than you."  
Harry was mentally laughing uncontrollably at Draco Malfoy's expression.

"In any case, may we get back to my list? I have many important places to be today." Lucius said, hoping to hurry the process along.  
Harry was beginning to get nervous. Draco's curious nature was bringing him closer and closer to Harry's hiding place. He stopped to look at a few objects on more shelves but soon the black cabinet caught his attention. Harry slowly hid in the corner and hoped some form of miracle would happen that very moment. Draco reached his hand out to pull open the door...  
"Perfect. That's all I need. Come along, Draco."  
Luckily for Harry, Draco Malfoy was one to obey his father. Harry watched as Mr. Borgin muttered words under his breath and made his way out of the room. Harry waited a minute, just in case Mr. Borgin decided to come back out again, before running out of the cabinet, past the glass jars and straight out of the door.

x.x

Jessica carefully carried her books towards the corner, where she could verify each one of them. Flourish and Blotts was crowded thanks to Gilderoy Lockhart. He'd decided it would be a great idea to hold a fan meeting and sign all the books. Jessica was grateful she'd managed to escape him.  
"Look who's been found." Ron grinned, pulling Harry into view.  
"Harry! Goodness, you look a mess." Jessica laughed. "Where were you anyway?"  
"Knockturn Alley. Isn't he lucky?" Ron said, still envious because he'd never been allowed in.  
"Your mother said Knockturn Alley isn't a nice place at all. I don't understand why you keep going on about it." Hermione stated as she pushed past the crowd of people and set her bags beside Jess.  
"Where do I get my books?" Harry wondered.  
"Good luck my friend, you'll have to wait for Lockhart to sign them." Jessica said, rolling her eyes. "I seem to be the only one who's managed to escape."  
"How could you? Gilderoy Lockhart is simply magnificent! I hope he spells my name correctly!" Hermione giggled.  
"Lockhart's a fraud." Joshua muttered, pushing past everyone and sitting on the stairs. "I bet he hasn't done half of the things he says."  
"If he hasn't done it, then why would he write about it?" Hermione stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
"Because he's fraud!" Fred grinned.  
"A big one!" George added.  
"But he'll get caught in his lies." Josh nodded.  
"Someday." The three boys said together.  
"I love it when they do that." Harry whispered towards Ron.

All the Weasley's, Hermione and Harry eventually managed to get their books. Lockhart insisted on taking a picture with _the _Harry Potter once he spotted him in the crowd. Jessica laughed at Harry's uncomfortable face.  
"This is ridiculous." Draco muttered, as he stopped beside Jess. "How you find it amusing is beyond my imagination."  
"How you don't, is beyond mine." Jessica smirked. "Don't cause a scene Draco."  
Her words were useless. They probably went in through one ear and out the other.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you Potter?" Draco snickered. "_Famous _Harry Potter. Can't even go into a book shop without making the front page."  
"Leave him alone." A young girl said, angrily.  
Jessica tried not to laugh at the scene before her. Ginny Weasley, also known as Ron's little sister, had just given Draco Malfoy a death glare and all because he messed with Harry.  
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend! Never thought you'd be capable." He drawled.  
The others soon came pushing through. No one seemed too pleased by the situation.  
"Oh, it's _you_." Ron spat.  
"I'm surprised to see you here, Weasley. I bet your family will go hungry for month after all this."  
"Enough." Jessica said coldly. "Go be a brat somewhere else."  
Draco smirked evilly towards her. Harry was amused by the fact that she wasn't fazed at all.  
"I'd be careful if I were you." Draco whispered, as he made his way towards her. "We've got a whole year ahead of us."  
"You should know by now that whatever you do, I can do better." She smirked.

"Alright, that's enough!" Mr. Weasley butted in. "You children should not be fighting."  
"Well, well, well... If it isn't Arthur Weasley." Lucius stood right behind his son, with a hand on his shoulder and sneering just like Draco.  
"Lucius." Arthur sighed.  
"Well, this has been great fun but let's all just apologize to each other and be on our way." Athos interrupted, hoping to bring peace.  
"Busy time at the Ministry I hear... All those raids. I hope they're paying you overtime." He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. "Obviously not. Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the Wizard name if they don't even pay you well for it?"  
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces a name of a wizard, Malfoy." Arthur replied coolly.

Mrs. Selwyn soon came into view and gave Lucius Malfoy a stern look. Harry discreetly observed her actions. He wasn't entirely sure on which side she was truly on but she was Jessica's mother, surely she'd be just as good as her daughter.  
"And when I thought your family could sink no lower." Malfoy tutted, staring over at Hermione's parents.  
Athos had to hold Arthur back; otherwise the man would've thrown himself onto Lucius. Jessica watched with her mouth slightly opened.  
"Come along Draco... I don't want you near these animals."  
Draco gave Jessica one last look before turning towards the others.  
"See you at school." He smirked.

"Ignore him. He's much nicer when he's not in public." Athos laughed nervously.  
"Yes, I'm sure he is." Arthur replied sarcastically.

Jessica jumped down the two steps and slowly walked towards her friends.  
"Well that was fun." She smiled.  
"I don't care if you two were friends once or not, but someday, Draco will get punched in the face." Ron said, angrily.

Jessica turned towards the window. Draco and his father were just across the street. He looked over towards her and stared for a few seconds before walking off. She couldn't make out his expression and it only frustrated her.

x.x

Jessica hugged her parent's goodbye and walked through the barrier. It wasn't as nerve wrecking as it had been the previous year. She took one look back just before going through and spotted the Weasley's desperately pushing past everyone. She mentally laughed. No doubt Ron had overslept or something.

Jessica took her time on the platform. She still had a few minutes before she had to get onto the train. The first years were extremely nervous and stayed close to their parents. The seventh years were running across the platform and were constantly being told off.

A reasonably tall girl, with dark brown hair and eyes, walked passed Jessica. She was undoubtedly beautiful. Jessica knew all too well who she was and smirked. Lila Davis, fifth year Slytherin.

Josh was busy helping two Ravenclaw girls with their trunks. He accidently let one of the trunks drop to the ground when the girl waved in his direction. He nervously waved back.

"Could you be more obvious?" Jessica mocked, pushing her trolley towards him.  
"Shut up munchkin."  
"You should go talk to her. I bet she likes you just as much as you like her." She smiled.  
"I don't _like _her." Josh whispered, trying his very best not to blush.  
"Right, I'll pretend I believe you... For now."

After helping his little sister onto the train, Josh began to gather his belongings.  
"Would you mind helping me with this?" A soft voice called out.  
Josh froze suddenly. He had to stay calm and act normal.  
"S-s-sure." He stuttered.  
"Do you always help little girls with their luggage?" Lila Davis mocked.  
"No, just the good looking ones." He smirked. He hadn't intended on sounding like a typical player, but Lila didn't seem bothered.  
"Well that's good to know. I hope I see more of you at school." She smiled. "And I'll be sure to put those muscles of yours to good use."

Lila slowly stepped onto the train. Josh was staring and she knew it. She _liked_ it.

"Nice one mate." Fred grinned, nudging Josh in the ribs.  
"If you don't ask Lila Davis out this year, we'll kill you." George whispered.  
"Oh shut up."

x.x

Jessica and Hermione ushered Ginny Weasley onto the train. The youngest Weasley was extremely excited about finally going to Hogwarts. She also kept asking questions about Harry.  
"I wonder where he and Ron are." Hermione said worriedly.  
Jessica tuned out the conversation slightly as she rummaged through her carry-on bag. She found a scrunched up note.

_Meet me in the first carriage. D._

"I can go see if I can find them if you like. There's something I have to do anyway." Jessica grinned.  
Ginny nodded vigorously. No doubt the young Weasley would be disappointed if she couldn't spend some time with the famous boy who lived.

Jessica quickly found Seamus, Neville and Dean. They were busy playing cards along with a few Hufflepuff students.  
"Hello boys!" Jessica grinned as she walked into the compartment.  
"Hello Jess! Hope you've had a good summer!" Seamus said, in an extremely heavy Irish accent.  
"It was pretty good." Jess sighed. "Anyway, have any of you seen Harry or Ron?"  
"I spotted them at King's Cross but I didn't see them get on the train." Dean stated.  
"I figured they'd be with you and Hermione." Neville said quietly. He was still quite shy around Jessica.  
"Well... If you do find them, let them know I'm looking for them."  
Jessica smiled and waved goodbye before letting the boys get back to their little game.

"Gryffindor's Prankster Princess has arrived!" Draco mocked, once he spotted Jessica approaching.  
Jess rolled her eyes at the stupid nickname but continued to make her way towards Draco and his group of friends.  
"What is it you want?" She asked, completely uninterested.  
"To annoy the heck out of you, of course." Blaise Zabini laughed.  
"Why else would we call upon you?" Goyle sniggered.  
"And don't forget, you called Malfoy a brat in front of loads of people." Crabbe added.  
Jessica smirked. Did Draco Malfoy really feel embarrassed by a little public name calling?  
"Sticks and stones, Malfoy. I thought you knew that." Jessica sighed. "And you started it. I told you not to cause a scene."  
"Did you tell your little friends you were meeting me here?" Draco asked curiously. Jessica bit her lip. Of course she didn't mention she was coming to spend some time with Draco Malfoy. She knew how they felt about him but she was determined to get him to change.  
"Obviously not." Blaise commented.

"It's only going to get worse, Jess." Draco smirked. "First it'll be lying about meeting me on the train and then it'll be lying about meeting me at school. How _did _you manage to manipulate the Sorting Hat into putting you into Gryffindor?"  
"Are you still going on about that?" Jessica laughed. "I'm much more of a Gryffindor than I am Slytherin."  
"Gryffindor's are known for their courage. Where's yours? I don't see you confessing that you'd rather maintain our little friendship."

Jessica rolled her eyes at all of them. Draco Malfoy was terribly wrong. She wasn't afraid of letting people know of her relations. There was nothing to be afraid of!  
"This _little friendship _can only last if you're willing to change. I'll see you boys at school."  
She could hear them snigger as she walked away.

x.x

Jessica walked back into her compartment, frowning.  
"Did you find them?" Ginny asked hopefully.  
"No, sorry." Jess shrugged.  
"Oh no! What if they didn't make it in time?" Hermione shouted worriedly.

* * *

**I know, I know... Draco Malfoy is bipolar - but in my defense, his astrological sign is Gemini. I'm Gemini (y) We Gemini's are bipolar - the good kind, of course! :p **

**They'll be arriving at school in the next chapter - LET THE GAMES BEGIN \O/ - Oh wait, the games are only in part 4... Dang, I'm getting ahead of myself already D: (can't wait until fifth year... Seriously can't! LOL) **

**Until next time! Xoxo!**


	3. Gilderoy Lockhart

**Heey everyone! Since I took sooo long to update Chapter 2, I decided to get this one done sooner ^^. But now we're back to the usual ~ One chapter for the Naruto fic - One chapter for this one... And so on :p **

**I am looooving the feedback I'm getting here guys ~ **

**Meg (Ja te contei da caixinha, mas voce está proibida de menciona-la nos reviews! Pelo menos por enquanto! :p E é... Nessa fic eu nao sei se tem mais Anna :/ Ela vai viajar o mundo - so nao lembro quando, ta tudo no guide! - entao ela vai ficar um tempinho sem aparecer mesmo. Tem mais Draco Bipolar \o/ mas a partir de agora ele comeca a ser mais pentelho e chato mesmo - isso ate chegar o meu tao esperado 5o ano ne :p - mas ele gosta dela, nao tem jeit e.. preciso dizer que nao resisti. Nao era pra ter Lila nesse capitulo, mas eu quis fazer algo diferente... E porque nao? \o *-* Ainda nao posso introduzir a melody mesmo! :p heheheh)  
Usuihentai727 (Really sorry though! But it won't be long until you understand everything! :p I'm letting a few things slip along the years. ^^)  
Jim Red Hawk (Well... I wouldn't say no pureblood would cook, especially since the Weasley's are purebloods and Molly Weasley cooks! :p But in Narcissa and/or Elena's case... I kind of went with what my mother always tells me ~ "There's nothing wrong with having people to do things for you, just make sure you know how to do things yourself so you can show them how you want it done, or just in case you ever need to do it on your own!" ~ And well yeah, I just pictured Narcissa hangin' with her good old friend, Elena, and cooking \o. lol Hope you like the story either way. ^^) **

**So... Y'all ready to read? \o Enjoy!**

* * *

**Gilderoy Lockhart**

Jessica and Hermione didn't pay much attention to the first years getting sorted. They clapped along when someone joined Gryffindor house, but that was about it. Their minds were focused only on Harry and Ron's whereabouts.  
"What if no one's noticed they're not here?" Jessica whispered worriedly.  
"Impossible! Professor Flitwick goes through our names at the gates. Either they're here somewhere or the teachers are hiding the fact that we've got two students missing." Hermione stated.  
"What if you-know-who's behind this?"  
"Jess, he's dead." Hermione frowned.  
"Like that stopped him last year. Or have you already forgotten all about that?" Jess snapped.  
"They probably just missed the train." Hermione sighed. "I'm sure they'll be here tomorrow morning."

Jessica took her time to get back to Gryffindor Tower. Percy had already marched ahead with the first years. She was quite happy she already knew the entire castle. She could wander along the dark, silent and empty corridors and not get lost.

She was quite surprised when she spotted two familiar faces quickly running out of Snape's office.  
"Where have you two been? Hermione and I were worried sick!" She shouted.  
Snape appeared in a matter of seconds, visibly irritated by the sudden racket. She grinned nervously and ran towards the two boys.  
"We couldn't get onto the platform! We have no idea why. So we flew the car all the way here... We're in a bit of trouble though." Ron said, both excited and annoyed.  
"But we're here and we're fine." Harry assured.  
"You two are insane." Jessica laughed. "Let's go before you end up in even more trouble."

Her first night back at the castle went perfectly fine. She was still sharing the room with Hermione, Parvati and Lavender. Josh, Fred and George had welcomed the first years by charming their shoes to run off whenever they tried to grab hold of them. She had a good feeling about this year. Perhaps it would be a lot quieter than the previous one.

x.x

The following day, hadn't been the greatest. Hermione was visibly disapproving of how Harry and Ron got to Hogwarts. She would frown and scowl at them as often as she could. On the other hand, Jessica was curious to know much more about the car and how it worked. This only made Hermione even more irritated.

They sat all together at breakfast. The school still served the same, glorious and delicious food, which all students loved. Hermione, as always, was more focused on a book instead of the food. She had her copy of Voyages with Vampires on her lap as was quickly reading through.

"Mail should be here soon." Neville chirped, sitting down next to Ron. "Gran's going to send me a few things I forgot."  
"Why don't you use your rememberall to remember what you've forgotten?" Jessica asked.  
"Well... I-it's because... Well, I never really remember what I've forgotten." Neville replied sheepishly.  
Jessica held in her giggles. She knew Neville was completely shy around her, but he was slowly opening up. It wouldn't be much help if she suddenly started laughing in his face.

That very moment, screeches were heard across the entire hall as the owls flew in and dropped their packages. A big and lumpy one bounced on Neville's head, then fell onto the table. Seconds later, something reasonably large and grey crashed into Hermione's milk jug, spraying them with milk and feathers.  
"Errol! How can you be so clumsy?" Ron whined, pulling the bedraggled owl out of the jug by its feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.

"Oh no!" Ron gasped.  
"It's alright, he's still alive." Hermione nodded.  
"It's not him... It's that." Ron cried, pointing towards the envelope.  
"That can't be good." Jessica said, shaking her head.  
Harry and Hermione stared at the envelope. It looked quite normal but Ron, Jessica _and _Neville were all acting as if it could explode any second.  
"What's the matter?" Harry asked, confused by the situation.  
"S-she's sent me a-a Howler." Ron said, faintly.  
"You should open it, Ron. It'll be worse if you don't. My Gran sent me one once and I ignored it." He gulped. "It was horrible."  
"I absolutely agree with you! My mum sent at least fifty to my brother during his first two years here and he would ignore most of them... They aren't a pretty sight when they're ignored." Jessica added.  
"Am I the only one completely lost?" Harry sighed.  
"Well, I've read about Howlers but I've never actually seen one in person. So I guess I'm just as lost as you are." Hermione assured.

Ron gulped and stretched out a shaky hand to grab the envelope. He only had to open it slightly before it came to life and literally started howling at him. The voice of Mrs. Weasley echoed through the Great Hall. Hermione and Harry watched with their mouths hung open.

"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU! JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOUNG MAN! I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE?!"

Ron buried his face as the entire hall stopped whatever they were doing to listen to the howler. The Slytherin's were definitely enjoying the show.  
"But of course we're not mad at you, Harry dear." The Howler continued. "And Ginny, congratulations on making Gryffindor house. Your father and I are so proud!"

It turned to face Ron once again. It looked ready to start screaming, but it caught fire before it could say anything. They watched in complete amazement as it burnt to ashes.  
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you get rid of a howler."  
A Slytherin girl ruffled Ron's hair before walking off, all eyes on her.

"Who was that?" Ron asked, completely amazed.  
"Lila Davis." Jessica nodded.  
"You know her? You _must _introduce us. She's gorgeous." Ron drooled.  
"She's a fifth year, _Ronald_." Hermione stated, rolling her eyes.  
"And she's my brother's girlfriend." Jessica smirked.

As of cue, said brother rushed past his little sister. Only stopping slightly to whisper, irritably:  
"She's _not _my girlfriend."  
Jessica waved him off and rolled her eyes. She knew better after all.  
"Not yet." Fred commented, also rushing past them.  
"But she will be eventually!" George added.

Harry, Jessica and Hermione laughed at Ron's fowl expression. He couldn't be completely out of league here, could he?

x.x

Jessica went through her schedule on her way to her first lesson. Harry would guide her along the corridors and crowds of people, seeing as she was too busy to look up. Ron was still telling everyone about the marvellous Slytherin fifth year, that saved him from even more public humiliation.  
"He's obsessing over her now." Hermione mumbled.  
"Jealous are we?" Jessica smirked.  
"Of course not! I'm just saying that it's going to be annoying." Hermione sighed.  
"I find it amusing, actually." Jessica grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes in response. "Think about it Mione! Ron was always one to say bad things about every single Slytherin. Now he's crazy in love with one! It's absolutely perfect!"  
Harry and Hermione laughed. She was right, it was rather amusing seeing Ron like this.

They finally reached the greenhouse. They had double Herbology with the Hufflepuff's first. Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and fingernails. She was walking alongside Gilderoy Lockhart. He, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.  
"I hope he doesn't stay for the entire class." Jessica mumbled.  
"His books _are_ pretty insane to be true." Harry grinned.

"Greenhouse three today, children!" Professor Sprout called out. She seemed rather irritated and not at all her cheerful self.  
"Hello there you lot! Don't mind me, I was just telling Professor Sprout here, how to properly nurse a Whomping Willow. But don't go thinking that I'm better than her; I just happened to come across a few in my time!" Gilderoy Lockhart called out.  
"He's a bit full of himself, isn't he?" Ron whispered.

They had never worked in greenhouse three before. This one held far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. The perfume of damp earth and fertilizer, from the giant flowers hanging from the ceiling, dominated. The four friends began making their way in when Lockhart grabbed Harry by the arm.  
"Harry! I would like a word – you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you Professor?"  
She _did _mind. That much was clear. However, Lockhart didn't seem to catch a hint and pulled Harry away.

"Must suck to be famous at times like these." Ron stated.  
"I bet he's planning his new book and asking Harry to join him in some ridiculous, mind blowing adventure." Jessica said sarcastically, waving her arms around for a more dramatic feel.  
"You two should stop mocking him! He's simply magnificent!" Hermione sighed.

Harry eventually was allowed back into the greenhouse and took his place, next to Ron.  
"We'll be re-potting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of a Mandrake?" Professor Sprout asked.  
To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand shot into the air.  
"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to transform people who have been transfigured, or cursed, back to their natural state." She said, sounding as though she'd swallowed a text book.  
"Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor." Sprout grinned. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. However, it can also be dangerous. Who can tell me why?"  
Hermione narrowly missed Jessica's face as she raised her hand once again.  
"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it." She said, promptly.  
"Precisely, take another ten points!"

Some of the Hufflepuff's frowned, but most were already used to Hermione and her extremely brilliant ways of being a genius. Jessica simply grinned at her best friend. She was earning them points, after all. Professor Sprout then proceeded to show the class the so called Mandrakes. Everyone shuffled around to get a closer look at the hundred, or so, purplish green plants.  
"What did you mean by 'cry of the Mandrake'?" Harry whispered.  
"It cries. Literally." Hermione nodded.  
"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs." Professor Sprout ordered.

Jessica happily took one of the neglected pairs of fluffy pink earmuffs.  
"Make sure your ears are fully covered!"  
No sound was heard after the earmuffs were on. It was actually quite funny, because Ron was still saying something to Jessica when she decided to put the earmuffs on. He scowled at her before grabbing his.

Professor Sprout grabbed the plants and pulled hard. Instead of roots, a small, muddy, ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing from the top of its head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs. Professor Sprout then took a large plant pot and placed the baby plant inside, covering it with dark, damp compost. Once that was done, she removed her earmuffs, indicating the others could do the same.  
"These are just babies; therefore they won't kill just yet. However they can knock you out for several hours. So be certain your earmuffs are perfectly secured. Now then, let's get to work! For to a tray please and make sure you all get a good look at the little creature!"  
Jessica and Ron went to grab the tray while Hermione and Harry got hold of a bag of compost.  
"They're _so_ ugly, that it actually makes them cute." Jess grinned.  
"You're mental." Ron laughed.  
"Am not." Jess pouted.

A Hufflepuff student named Justin Finch-Fletchley ended up joining the four friends, due to the odd number in the class. He seemed quite eager to work with know-it-all Hermione Granger and the famous Harry Potter.  
"That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap." Justin commented, obviously trying to make conversation.  
"He's a fraud." Jessica sighed, as she opened and prepared the compost. Hermione gave her a stern look.  
"I know it sounds pretty insane, but why couldn't it be true? Besides, he seems to know what he's doing." Justin assured.

Jessica was thankful that her fluffy pink earmuffs were one hundred percent sound proof. She happily placed them and ignored the rest of the conversation about how great Gilderoy Lockhart was. They soon got to work on their Mandrakes, earning extra points because Hermione managed to answer a few more questions. By the end of class, everyone was sweaty, aching and covered in dirt.

The Gryffindor's managed to wash up before heading to Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall's class were always reasonably difficult and this year, Jessica wouldn't have Anna to give her special tips. McGonagall told them to transfigure a beetle into a button.

Harry had the small beetle dancing around his desk. Hermione got it right on the very first try and was asked to help a small Ravenclaw student named George Bleu. Ron was having the worst luck. He'd broken his wand when he and Harry crashed the flying car into the Whomping Willow. He stuck the two parts back together with tape, but it didn't seem to be functioning properly. He nearly filled the entire room with black smoke. At some point, he accidently squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask Professor McGonagall for another one. She wasn't pleased at all. Jessica had surprisingly got lucky. After her seventh try, she successfully managed to transfigure her beetle into a button. She skipped gleefully towards McGonagall's desk and handed it over.  
"Well done, Miss Selwyn. If you can manage to keep this up, it might become a natural skill for you." McGonagall praised.

x.x

Lunch finally came around. Ron was moaning and moping about his useless wand.  
"Why don't you write to your mum and ask for a new one?" Harry suggested.  
"Yeah, sure, and get another Howler in return." Ron whined.  
"Good point."  
"It's your own fault." Hermione stated.  
"What have we got this afternoon?" Jessica asked, hoping to change the subject.  
"DADA, with Gilderoy Lockhart." Hermione sighed.  
"She's outlined all his lessons with little hearts." Ron muttered.

They still had a few good minutes to spare after they'd finished lunch and decided to head outside. Hermione was once again reading through her copy of Voyages with Vampires.  
"It's the third time you've read that." Harry stated.  
"I want to make sure I know what the Professor will be talking about!" Hermione cried. "Leave me be."

Jessica, Ron and Harry were talking about random subjects when Harry noticed a small boy standing over them, a large camera in hand. The boy turned bright red when he realised he'd been spotted.  
"A-alright H-harry? I'm Collin Creevey." The boy said, breathlessly. "I'm in Gryffindor too! Could I... Possibly... Take a picture?"  
"A picture?" Harry repeated.  
"It's so I can prove that I've met you!" He stated eagerly. Jessica and Ron tried not to laugh. "I know all about you! How you-know-who tried to kill you but you survived, about your scar... I never knew all the odd things I could do was magic until I received my letter. My dad's a milkman, he was so surprised! I promised to take loads of pictures so I could show him later. I was hoping to get one with you and then maybe... You could sign it."  
Harry sighed but soon agreed.

"Potter's giving out signed pictures!" Blaise Zabini shouted.  
"Of course they did." Jessica muttered.

"Gather round, everyone! The _great _Harry Potter is giving out signed photographs! Get yours today." Draco Malfoy smirked.  
"I am not. Shut up, Malfoy." Harry spat.  
"You're just jealous!" Collin chirped. He soon backed away when he saw Draco's glare.  
"Jealous?" He said, in a normal tone of voice. "I don't want a hideous scar on my forehead. Quite frankly, I don't think getting your head cut open is that great."  
"Shove off Malfoy!" Ron spat.  
Draco Malfoy, being completely full of himself and utterly hot headed, would never allow Ronald Weasley speak to him like that.  
"And if I don't? What are _you _going to do about it?" Malfoy snickered.  
Ron, being just as hot headed as Draco was, quickly pulled out his hideous looking wand. This only made everyone around them laugh hysterically. Jessica groaned loudly and grabbed Draco by the arm, dragging him as far away as she could from the crowd.  
"I hope she glues him to a tree in the Forbidden Forest." Ron mumbled.  
Harry groaned once he saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming their way, possibly ready for another one of his little advice-giving sessions.

"Where are you taking me?" Draco demanded, as Jessica continued to drag him by the arm.  
Draco was taller _and _stronger. Yet a small, almost insignificant part of him was telling him not to do anything and just go along with all this.  
Jessica soon stopped, just before the entrance to the Forbidden Forest.

"Why?" She asked, completely infuriated.  
"Could you at least be more specific?" Draco smirked.  
"You spend the entire holidays, practically at peace, and then you return to school and act like this? I don't care if you don't like my friends; I've already told you that I don't like yours. Well, I don't mind Blaise Zabini, but that's only because I know him almost as long as I know you." She said, nearly all at once. When Draco didn't say anything back, she decided to continue. "You _aren't _this person you pretend to be at school. Yes, you're completely hot headed and yes, you're quite arrogant. You _do _tend to think you're better than everyone else, but let's face it, sometimes you actually _are_. Draco, you're smart, intelligent, good looking-"

She froze. Did she just say that out loud?

"Good-looking?" He smirked.  
"My point is..." She said, now less angry than she had been, and trying her best not to blush. "You're not mean. I don't understand why you pretend to be but I know that deep inside you just aren't."  
Draco still had nothing to say. That could only mean she was right.  
"You wouldn't understand." He said eventually.  
"Try me."  
"No." He spat, angrily. "Choose, Selwyn. Either you're my friend or you're theirs."  
"I'm not going to-"  
"Suit yourself."  
He walked off, not looking back once. Jessica groaned in annoyance. Not only had she accomplished nothing, she was now late for her next lesson.

x.x

"Me. Gilderoy Lock-"  
The door opened suddenly and Jessica and Draco rushed in. Neither looking too pleased.  
"Sorry we're late Professor, but we had a little trouble along the way." Jessica muttered the last part, staring angrily at Draco.  
"No need to worry! Now where was I?"

"What happened?" Harry whispered eagerly.  
"He's an annoying little son of a-"  
"Jessica!" Hermione hissed.  
"Right, sorry." She sighed. "Nothing happened."  
"I thought you beat him up or something and Professor McGonagall had caught you and-"  
Hermione interrupted Ron's sudden outburst and silenced all of them, hoping they'd pay more attention on Professor Lockhart and his introduction speech. Jessica actually heard Lockhart saying he was a five time winner of Witch-Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, to which she rolled her eyes.

"But I don't really talk about that much. I didn't get rid of Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" Lockhart was waiting for people to laugh, but earned only a few giggles from some of the girls. "I see you've all bought the complete set of my books. In case any of didn't get a chance to get them signed, then I shall happily do so at the end of class."  
"Oh just kill me now." Jessica muttered.  
"I don't understand why you don't like him! How can you be so sure he's a fraud?" Hermione whispered.

"I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about! I would just like to check just how much you've read."  
Gilderoy Lockhart handed in the papers; each one had a small signature at the very top.  
"He's signed it!" Hermione beamed.

"Is this a real quiz?" Jessica asked, a little too loudly for her liking.  
"Well of course it is little one! Now there's no need to be nervous, your friends won't tease you if you've got yourself a little celebrity crush!"  
Ron and Harry quietly chuckled at Lockhart's response.

Jessica looked through the quiz papers. It was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever seen and yet, she didn't know any of the answers.  
_1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour?  
2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?  
3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?  
4. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?_

After much pestering, Hermione allowed Jessica to copy her answers. Professor Lockhart collected the papers, after half an hour, and ran through them in front of the class.  
"Hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac." He murmured, completely disappointed.

"One thing's certain; he never fails to surprise me." Ron whispered.

Hermione managed to gain ten points for Gryffindor because she was the only one to know that Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition was to rid the world of evil and create his very own line of hair-care-products. Finally, Lockhart decided it was time to get down to business. He bent over his desk and pulled up a large, covered cage.  
"Now... Be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known. You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this very room! Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."  
Jessica, Harry, Ron and Hermione leaned forward simultaneously; all extremely curious on what could be inside the cage. Seamus and Dean, who were both laughing and sniggering only a few seconds ago, were now silent. Neville was practically shivering in his front row seat. Even Draco and his little group of friends were paying close attention.  
"I must ask you not to scream." Lockhart ordered in a low voice. "It might provoke them."  
As the entire class held their breaths in anticipation, Lockhart pulled off the covers.  
"Yes!" He shouted, dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish Pixies!"  
Seamus couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that no one could think it was a scream of terror.

"Yes?" Lockhart smiled at Seamus.  
"Well... They're not very dangerous, are they?" Seamus managed to choke out, in between his chuckles.  
"Don't be so sure!" Lockhart stated, waggling a finger, annoyingly, at Seamus. "Devilish, tricky little blighters they can be!"  
The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people closest to them.  
"Let's see what you make of them!"

It was a pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. Ron and Hermione had been the only ones to hide under their desks quick enough. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. Draco and his little group of friends were sprayed with ink and shredded paper. The pixies tore up pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window. Within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier. Lavender, Parvati, Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode were screaming just outside the classroom.  
"Come along now, round them up! They're only pixies!" Lockhart shouted above the racket. Seeing as no one was taking action, he rolled up his sleeves and pointed towards the air. Neville silently prayed nothing would hit him. "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"  
It had no effect at all. One of the pixies grabbed his wand and threw it out the window. He gulped and dived under his desk, narrowly missing Neville, who was now on the ground, beside the broken chandelier.  
"Have you lost your mind? That's not even a real spell!" Jessica shouted, as she fought off the pixie that was pulling on her hair and tie.

The bell suddenly rang and the students were extremely thankful to be allowed out of the classroom. Draco slightly contemplated whether or not he should remove the pixie from Jessica's hair, but Crabbe and Goyle soon called out to him and he continued his way. The four, and Neville, finally managed to get free and were almost at the door when Lockhart came rushing through.  
"I'll leave this for you five to take care of!" He said sheepishly.  
"Oh no you won't! You can't just leave us here and-" Jessica was rudely interrupted by the door closing in her face. She groaned in annoyance and turned towards Hermione. "Just so you know, _this _is why I believe that man is a fraud."  
"I can't believe him!" Ron roared, as one of the pixies bit him on the ear.  
"He just wants to give us some hand-on experience!" Hermione stated, smacking down pixies with her books.  
"Hands on? Hermione, he didn't have a clue about what he was doing!" Harry shouted.  
"Nonsense! You've seen his books and all the things he's done." Hermione insisted.  
"Things he says he's done." Ron muttered.  
"He's a fraud!" Jessica sang as she ran past them, five or six pixies chasing after her.  
"Don't you know any good freezing spells or something?" Harry whined.

Hermione suddenly grinned at all of them.  
"_Immobilus_!" She shouted.  
Every pixie in the room suddenly froze. Jessica jumped and cheered, visibly happy to be free from those terrorizing creatures.  
"I should suggest Lockhart as a target for Josh, Fred and George." Jess grinned evilly.  
"I agree." Harry laughed.

x.x

Jessica practically threw herself onto the grass. It was dinner time and surely everyone was busy munching away in the Great Hall, but she wasn't feeling too hungry that evening. She was in fact tired. Her first lesson with Professor Sprout was, perhaps, the main reason. Though, she did wish she could relive her moment with Draco once again. She would've avoided that ending. She didn't like the idea of having him as a rival. It didn't feel right.

"Would you mind going somewhere else? This is Slytherin territory." She heard Draco's voice call out. She sighed and picked herself up.  
"Since when is this _Slytherin_ territory?" She asked, rolling her eyes.  
"Since we dubbed it that way. Now move." He ordered.  
"Make me." She smirked.

Well, it was safe to say her wish came true. Just a few seconds later, she found herself being carried by none other than Draco Malfoy.  
"Put me down!" She said, hitting him on the shoulder.  
He ignored her and kept walking. He was close enough to notice a small cut on her cheek and another down her neck. It made him wonder where they came from. Then Lockhart's lesson came to mind. She'd been in the back row, along with her so called friends. Surely if he'd been in Harry's position, he would've covered her. She was small, making it easy to do so.

He soon reached the edge of the lake and smirked evilly. That's when Jessica started screaming.  
"Don't you dare! Are you trying to kill me? You know I can't swim!"  
He frowned slightly, realising she was almost in tears. Either she was a very good liar, or truthfully hadn't learnt how to swim yet.  
"You're pathetic." He said, literally dropping her on the ground.

He walked off and didn't look back. She could hear Crabbe and Goyle complaining about how they wanted to see her fall into the water.  
"This is going to be a long year." She muttered to herself.

* * *

**And scene. Draco darling, you must stop being so bipolar, seriously. :p (I still love you though, don't you worry) Ehem... **

**Ok... So, like I said way up there *points up*, the next chapter will come along after I've done the next chapter for my Naruto fic (did that make sense? :p) So... I'll see you soon! **

**OOOH ~ for those who love Young Justice - IT'S BACK! IT'S FINALLY BACK! *-* I'm so happy, I could cry... Now let's just hope they keep it up and don't go on hiatus again - I mean come ooon ~ I need ideas for a new YJ fic (actually, I have the idea... But I kind of depend on the other episodes :p) **

**XOXO!**


	4. Mudblood

**Salut wonderful people! I'm back with the update... Who's ready for it? This actually turned out longer than I expected it to... And there's JoshJess brotherly moments *-* (Josh is the greatest big brother ever) **

**Right then.. Thanks for the reviews: MeganAllard (o ultimo foi 'a lila é demais' .. acho que esse sera 'O JOSH É DEMAIS'. Estou sentindo isso ;x E realmente... DraJess ta muito tipo Chair/Bluck *o* Ahazou. Isso me faz amar a ideia mais ainda ~~); usuihentai727 (yeeey *-* Glad you liked it *-*) Poseidon'sdaughter3 (now all you have to do is read 3 and 4! LOL. And feel free to attack Lockhart with wheelchairs. No one will mind. Well, except Hermione and his fanclub, but that's a minor detail)**

**Right, let's get to it! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Mudbloods**

It was five-thirty in the morning when Lavender Brown decided to get up and start getting ready for the day. Her hair was almost just as bushy as Hermione's, yet Hermione didn't feel the need to fix hers hours before breakfast. Jessica was sometimes a very light sleeper and Lavender wasn't too careful when it came to walking around a dark room. After her roommate managed to drop her hairbrush for the seventh time, Jessica got up from her bed and headed downstairs. She wasn't expecting anyone to be up.  
"It's not even six yet!" Fred stated.  
"You're not sneaking out are you?" George wondered.  
"No... What are you two doing up?" Jessica yawned.  
"We're waiting for your brother." Fred smirked.  
"He did it! He finally did it!" George beamed.  
Jessica stared at the twins as if they were aliens. Either it was too early for her brain to function or... No, it was definitely too early.  
"I have no idea what you're on about." She muttered eventually, finding her way towards the sofa.  
"He went out with Lila Davis!" Fred sang. "They spent the night together."  
"They did what?" Jessica gasped.  
"Calm down, cheeky. Not in _that _sense." George smirked.  
"They stayed up all night talking." Fred nodded.  
"And kissing... If he spent all night with her and didn't kiss her, then I'll kill him." George stated.  
"I'll help." Jessica smirked. "But when did he ask her out?"  
"Yesterday afternoon, just before Snape's lesson." George said.  
"It was quite amusing, actually. Snape caught the last part... You should've seen his face."  
"Priceless." They said together, making Jessica roll her eyes.  
"Well this is great! Although... I bet some people might find it strange that a Gryffindor and Slytherin are dating." Jessica frowned.  
"Who cares? This is a new era!" Fred grinned.  
"People can date, regardless of their house. No judgement. Not _all _Slytherin's are bad." George nodded.  
"Your mum was in Slytherin, wasn't she?" Fred asked, curiously.  
"Yeah and my dad in Gryffindor!" Jessica grinned. "They were quite the popular couple apparently."  
"We know." They said in unison.

At that very moment, the Gryffindor team captain, Oliver Wood, came downstairs. Soon followed by Harry, who seemed to be half asleep.  
"Boys, we have practice now. Go get ready." Oliver ordered.  
"But it's dawn! We can't practice at dawn!" George whined.  
"Don't bother; I've already tried that approach." Harry mumbled.  
Jessica walked up to her friend and patted him on the back.  
"Good luck, seeker." She grinned.  
"What are you doing up anyway?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes at her gesture.  
"Lavender's fixing her hair, but she's extremely clumsy when the lights are off." Jessica nodded, slightly remembering the annoying noise the brush would make every time it hit the floor.  
"Right... Well, I better get going then. I don't think I want to get Wood in a bad mood and apparently, according to Angelina Johnson, he isn't a morning person." Harry muttered.  
"And yet, he decides that six in the morning is the best time for Quidditch practice. Have fun!" Jessica smiled.  
"I will." Harry said, sarcastically.

"Quidditch practice?" Came a squeaky voice, from the staircase. "I've never seen you play! Wait for me, Harry! I'm coming with you!"  
Jessica managed to grab hold of young Collin Creevey before he reached the portrait, allowing Harry to escape freely.  
"Where exactly do you think you're going, young man?" Jessica asked, using the same tone of voice Anna would.  
"I-I w-was g-going to s-see H-harry play." He said, nervously.  
"Well you can't, because you might end up distracting him, then Oliver would be angry and you might just get Harry in big trouble." Jessica stated.  
"I won't distract him! I swear!" Collin pleaded. "You can come along with me if you like."  
"What am I, your babysitter?" Jessica said, rolling her eyes.  
Collin embarrassedly looked towards the ground and slowly began walking towards the door.

"On second thought..." Jessica stated, making the small first year stop in his tracks. "Give me five minutes to get changed."  
Collin grinned and took a seat in the nearest armchair.

x.x

Hermione and Ron soon met Jessica and Collin in the stands. Collin kept asking them millions of questions about Harry.  
"So where are they? Have they finished already?" Ron wondered, after Collin finally quieted down.  
"They haven't even started yet." Jessica groaned, running a hand through her hair.  
"Wood must be driving them insane." Hermione grinned. "Speaking of which, Lavender is-"  
"Lavender is inconsiderate to those who wish to sleep until five minutes before breakfast is served." Jessica finished Hermione's sentence, still feeling slightly angry about waking up so early.

Collin began snapping pictures once he saw Harry walk out into the field. Jessica sighed and turned towards Ron and Hermione, frowning.  
"Remind me again, why he came along?" Ron muttered.  
Jessica rolled her eyes in response and turned back towards the field. That's when she spotted the Slytherin team walking up.  
"Well this should be interesting." Ron stated.  
"Should we go down there?" Hermione said, worriedly.  
"Yes. Collin, if you wish to follow, you're forbidden to take pictures." Jessica stated, sounding like Anna again.  
Collin nodded vigorously and quickly made his way down.

"Flint! This is _our _practice time. We got up early just for this, so you can go back to your dorm now." Oliver Wood stated.  
Marcus Flint was a big, troll-like sixth year. He had a _huge _crush on Lila Davis and a very strong rivalry with Josh. One could only imagine the fights that would break out in the hallways once Flint discovers that she's dating Josh.  
"Keep calm, Wood. I've got a note, signed by none other than Professor Snape." Flint smirked, showing off his horrid teeth.  
Oliver grabbed the note from Flint's hands and read it out loud:

_I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice in the field today, in order to train their new seeker.  
_"New seeker? Who?" Oliver demanded.  
That's when _he _appeared.

"Aren't you the Malfoy kid?" Fred wondered.  
"Funny you should mention Draco's father. Take a look at the generous gift he's given us." All the players eagerly showed off their new broomsticks. Black, polished brooms with gold letterings spelling 'Nimbus Two-thousand and one'. "It's the latest model. Came out only last month. Oh look... a field invasion."  
Jessica managed to speed ahead of Hermione, Ron and Collin. She looked ready to prance on someone. That someone obviously being Draco Malfoy.

"What are _you _doing here?" She said, walking straight up to him. They would've been eye to eye if only she were taller.  
"It's really none of your business." He smirked.  
"Back off Selwyn and you won't get hurt." Flint remarked.  
"_Hurt_? Do I needto remind you that my brother is the same person that left you unable to walk for a week?" The Gryffindor's smirked in unison as Flint frowned. "And Draco, please, Halloween isn't until October. Take that costume off and go do something useful with your time."  
"Is this all because I threatened to throw you into the lake?" He wondered.

"Don't waste your time, Jess. He's on the team now." Josh called out. Jessica turned around quickly and managed to notice he was holding onto Lila's hand. She smirked slightly before turning back towards Draco.  
"Ha! Took you long enough." Jessica mocked.  
"What's _that _supposed to mean?" Draco sniggered.  
"You know quite well what it means." She spat.

Josh purposely grabbed hold of Lila's waist once he was certain Marcus Flint could properly see them. He wasn't usually the one to start their fights, but he _did _just threaten his little sister. No one, but him, was ever allowed to do such a thing.  
"You're desperately asking for it, Selwyn." Flint said angrily.  
"If you boys don't mind, I'm going to get some breakfast. Staying up all night long makes me hungry." Lila smirked. She kissed Josh on the cheek before waving the rest goodbye. Fred and George began cheering in the background.  
"You were saying?" Josh walked up to Flint.  
The two boys were nose to nose, simply waiting for someone to through the first punch.

"Why don't we all calm down for a moment?" Oliver sighed. He was almost just as bad as Percy Weasley.  
Josh sighed and walked back towards his friends.  
"I can't _believe _he had to buy his way into the team." Hermione stated, as she began to walk off.  
"No one asked your opinion, you _filthy little mudblood_." Draco spat. The Slytherin's began roaring with laughter. Jessica quickly turned to face him, eyes wide.  
"You've gone too far this time, Malfoy." She said. She would've pranced onto him if Harry hadn't been holding her back. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to grab hold of Ron.  
"You'll pay for that one Malfoy! Eat slugs!"  
Ron waved his wand towards Draco, but due to it being broken, it backfired and he ended up hitting himself instead.  
"Ron! Ron are you alright?" Hermione squealed.  
"He looks pale." Josh stated, analyzing Ron's state.

"Well, well... It's seems like you lot are pathetic even when it comes to defending your mudblood friends." Flint mocked. There was no way Flint would leave without being punched now.  
"Joshua, ignore him. Don't fight back." Oliver demanded, grabbing hold of the hot-headed fourth year. Josh frowned but complied, turning his attention back to Ron.  
"That's right. Be a good little boy and stay right where you are. You _dyslexic bastard_."  
As soon as those words escaped Flint's mouth, Josh knocked him to the ground with a single punch on the nose. He then continued to punch him when he was down. Oliver, Fred and George carefully pried the young Selwyn off his victim, whilst the other Slytherin's watched. All extremely afraid of getting caught in the middle. Oliver slapped the fourth year on the shoulder, managing to get his attention.  
"Don't even _think _about telling me to calm down! You heard what he said and-"  
"Yeah... I heard him." Oliver sighed. "You shouldn't care about what he says."  
Josh pushed himself away from Oliver and all the other Gryffindor's. He even ignored Jessica when she reached out to say something. He angrily walked off, clenching his fists.

At that moment, Ron puked a large, slimy slug.  
"We should get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest." Harry muttered.  
"You guys go ahead. I'll meet you later." Jessica said, giving Ron one last look.

x.x

Jessica finally found her brother, hiding in the dark area of the Astronomy Tower. He looked as though he'd been crying. It was the rarest thing, seeing her brother cry. She remembered the last time she'd seen him upset. He was nine and the family's thirteen year old cat had died. Josh was quite fond of the cat and simply couldn't believe it was gone. He'd spent the entire day crying over it and only calmed down when their dad took him swimming.

"You tell anyone and I'll turn you into a frog." He said, rubbing his eyes. He then looked towards her and smiled.  
"There's no shame in crying, you know?" She smiled, sitting down next to him. "Just like there's no shame in being dyslexic."  
"I know there isn't." He muttered.  
"Yet, you punched Marcus Flint because he said so." Jessica rolled her eyes.  
"No... I punched him because he's a douche." Josh smirked.  
"Well... I can't say I don't agree." Jess laughed. "But seriously... You shouldn't care about those things he says to you. He's a bully and he'll keep doing it because he knows it bothers you. You _could _simply tell McGonagall instead of taking matters into your own hands."

Josh sighed. He knew his sister was right, even though he didn't feel like admitting it. He also knew he'd earn at least two week's detention for punching Flint, possibly more if he managed to break his nose.  
"When did you get so smart?" He smirked.  
"I was born this way." She shrugged. "But you're smart too. McGonagall is always praising you on how hard you work to not fall back. She likes you, despite you always misbehaving and all."  
"And you know all this because..."  
"Because I have good connections in this school." Jess grinned. "And because mum told me... McGonagall sent a few letters home during your second year."  
"Oh yeah... The year I _almost _got suspended for landing him in the Hospital." He smirked.  
"Please try to ignore him?" Jessica begged, pulling onto his arm and making puppy eyes.  
"Only if _you _learn to ignore Draco." He smirked, completely unaffected by the puppy eyes.

Realising the subject was now directed to her, she frowned.  
"What's going on with you two anyway? The love-hate relationship that goes on between you both is probably too complicated even for Hermione to understand." He sighed.  
"First of all, there is no _relationship_. Secondly, he's the one that suddenly turns into an annoying brat. And lastly, we had a short conversation, in which he basically told me to choose between him and my friends. When I told him I couldn't choose, he walked off and has been overly annoying ever since." Jessica stated, frowning.  
"He likes you." Josh nodded.  
"Don't be ridiculous." Jess laughed.  
"Fine... I won't insist. But mark my words little sister, you two will end up together." He smirked.  
"I bet we won't." Jessica grinned.  
"Alright then. If by the end of your seventh year, you haven't at least kissed him once, I'll buy you the most expensive broomstick I can find."  
"I don't like flying." Jessica stated.  
"Well I'll give you the money worth the broomstick then." Josh rolled his eyes. "And you give me the broomstick, if you two _do _get together. Which you will."  
"Deal." Jessica laughed. "You better start getting rich."  
"Yeah, yeah."

x.x

Jessica decided to run down to Hagrid's hut. She didn't mind if the others weren't there anymore because either way, she could properly say hello to Hagrid. Once she managed to get all the way there, she found them all outside, apparently looking at some pumpkins.  
"Well they look nice!" Jessica called out. Ron burped out a couple of slugs at the same time.  
"Good ter see ya Jess! How was yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.  
"Quite nice, Hagrid. How were yours?"  
"Spent all me time on these pumpkins 'ere! They're almost ready fer the Halloween feast." He beamed. "As long as Lockhart don't come round and invent somethin' fer them."  
Jessica rolled her eyes at the mention of Lockhart, but decided not to call him a fraud. Just this once.

They went back into Hagrid's hut and randomly talked. Ron was barely coughing up slugs anymore, which Jessica was quite grateful for. Eventually Harry complained about being hungry and they said their goodbyes to Hagrid.

"Potter and Weasley, your detentions will be held this evening." Professor McGonagall stated once they reached the castle. She looked like she'd been looking for them everywhere.  
"What will we be doing?" Harry asked curiously. Ron coughed slightly and silently prayed no slugs would jump out.  
"Weasley will be polishing the trophies in the trophy room – without magic." McGonagall smiled at the last past, as Ron frowned. "And Potter will be assisting Professor Lockhart with his fan mail."  
"Can't I go to the trophy room too?" Harry begged.  
McGonagall said nothing and simply continued her way down the hall.  
"I'm guessing your answer would be 'no'." Jessica smiled, patting Harry on the back.  
"You could always favour a lucky fan of his with one of your signed pictures." Hermione grinned.  
Harry groaned loudly and made his way towards the Great Hall, ahead of the other three.

x.x

"How's your brother?" Hermione asked.  
Hermione and Jessica were sitting in the common room, studying and doing their nails. They figured tonight would be perfect for girl time. Jessica grinned as she finally finished painting her nails light blue.  
"He's glad he managed to break Flint's nose. He's upset because Madam Pomfrey already fixed it." Jessica smirked.  
"I didn't know he was..." Hermione looked around the room and made sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "Dyslexic."  
"Yeah... But that doesn't mean he's not smart." Jessica frowned.  
"I know it doesn't! Marcus Flint was being a bully. He deserved to get punched." Hermione nodded. She tried to turn the page of her book without ruining her freshly painted light pink nails.  
"Wow... Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Jessica laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes. "You _never _approve violence."  
"Well I do believe there are better ways of dealing with people like Flint. However, he did deserve it."

Their conversation was cut short when the young – and handsome, according to Lavender and Parvati, who were squealing in their seats – Josh Selwyn walked in.  
"Please, don't stop talking just because I decided to join." He said, waving his hands around.  
"Are you in trouble?" Hermione asked, curiously.  
"Got myself detention with Snape, as usual." He rolled his eyes. "But Lila got detention with him too, for talking back... So I'm assuming tomorrow night will be an interesting one."  
"Behave." Jessica said, pointing her wand at him.  
"I _always _do. Speaking of which, where are Harry and Ron tonight?" He asked, looking around the room. He spotted his sister's two roommates staring at him and sent a wink their way. They squealed even louder.  
"They're in detention because of the flying car." Jess nodded.  
"Oh yeah... Almost forgot about that." He thought.  
"Everyone seems to remember the howler." Hermione smirked.

Hermione soon gave up on staying up, waiting for Harry and Ron to come back. Josh fell asleep three times, on the sofa, before heading upstairs. Ron had walked in around ten minutes after Josh went to bed. He grumbled and frowned and stated he was too worn out to stay up. The common room soon became empty and Jessica found herself staring into the fire.

_Come to me..._

Jessica rolled her eyes. Her brother should've known that she'd outgrown his attempts of scaring her several years ago. She turned her attention back to the fire and sighed. Fire was something quite fascinating. It was deadly and beautiful.

_Let me rip you apart... _

She wouldn't allow herself to be distracted from the fire's beauty. It also gave her time to think. Josh had mentioned Draco liked her, but that surely couldn't be true. But what if it was? What if they did end up together in the future? She wasn't looking for any sort of relationship just yet – she was only twelve – but she had no way of knowing what could happen.

_Come to me! _

"It's not funny!" She called out.  
Silence.

She sighed and looked around the common room. It was completely empty. Was she losing her mind? Perhaps staring at the fire could make you lose your senses. When she heard it again, she began to panic. It wasn't normal to hear voices. What could this mean?

_Let me kill you... _

Harry walked into the common room to find Jessica cautiously walking around.  
"What are you still doing up?" He wondered.  
Jessica jumped and almost screamed in terror. She took a deep breath when she realised it was just Harry. She looked around, waiting for something to happen but nothing did.  
"Nothing! I was... Waiting for you!" She grinned. "How was it?"  
"Boring." Harry muttered.  
"Well, I should go to bed." She laughed nervously.  
She managed to run up the stairs before Harry could think of something to say. She felt slightly guilty, especially because he looked like he had something to say.

x.x

October came rushing in and Halloween was very close. The weather had gone from simple cloudy days to dark and damp showery ones. Lessons weren't much of a threat. McGonagall piled them up with homework, Snape was still gloomy in every lesson and Lockhart was still full of himself. Jessica noticed she didn't hear the strange voice again, but refused to stay alone in the common room, staring at the fire.

Harry met Jess, Ron and Hermione in the common room one evening, after Quidditch practice. He'd apparently managed to escape detention, given by Filch, because Peeves was causing havoc. He'd also managed to get them invited to a party.  
"A death day party?" Hermione asked, quite fascinated by the entire thing. "I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one!"  
"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" Ron wondered.

Nearly everyone was hanging around the common room that evening. It was pouring outside and it was getting late. It's not like they could go anywhere if they wanted to. Not a moment later, a completely drenched Selwyn walked in, gasping for air.  
"You must've been busy." George called out.  
Those in the room stared at him, hoping to get some sort of explanation.

Joshua was quite popular amongst the students. It all started when he first stood up to Marcus Flint. Flint had been known as the school bully, always picking on those smaller than him. One day, he decided to target the eleven year old Selwyn and ended up with a black eye and broken teeth. Needless to say, Gryffindor praised Joshua Selwyn ever since that day. Whatever he was up to was usually the gossip of the common room. They didn't really seem to mind that he was currently spending his free time with a Slytherin. Although, most of the girls in his year were deadly jealous.

Ron couldn't hide his excitement when the young lad sat next to them.  
"Heard you muddied up the floor, Potter." Josh smirked.  
"I didn't really mean to... I had Quidditch practice." Harry muttered.  
"Filch is going nuts down there. I don't know why he doesn't use magic to make his life easier." Josh sighed. "So what are you four up to?"  
"Homework." Hermione stated.  
"As usual." Jessica added.  
"There's more to life than homework, Granger." Josh smirked. "Besides, aren't you all ahead already?"  
"Yes, we are. Good point. I say we call it a night." Ron said, gleefully.  
"But I need to finish Flitwick's work and-"

"Any ideas for Halloween mate?" Fred asked, interrupting Hermione completely and taking a seat in between Harry and Ron.  
"I've been a bit distracted lately." Josh grinned.  
"Spare us the details please." Jessica groaned.  
"Spare us nothing! How far off are you?" George grinned.  
"We are _not _entering that subject." Jessica stated, glaring daggers at George Weasley.  
"I'm actually fine without details myself." Josh laughed, nervously. "But not as far as you're thinking."  
"How far are we supposed to be thinking?" Harry wondered.  
"Oh not you too." Hermione complained.  
"I know she's your girlfriend and all but... Couldn't you at least spend time with us when she's around?" Ron asked, with a silly romantic look on his face.  
"Please don't do that, Ron will never stop drooling." Jessica smirked, making Ron frown at her.  
"I've got it!" Fred said suddenly. "Come on you two, we've got to start planning!"  
Fred dragged George and Josh away from the others and they huddled in a corner. You would hear small explosions every now and then. It was rather terrifying to think what they could be up to.

"So... What are you supposed to wear to a death day party?" Jessica asked, curiously.

x.x

Halloween finally came around and Harry was beginning to regret ever making a promise to Nearly Headless Nick. Hermione would constantly remind him that he had no choice but to go. She was still the only one extremely fascinated by it all. Jessica had decided that something black would be suitable for the party. She was in her room getting ready and analyzing her choice of outfits when Hermione came rushing in.  
"Aren't you ready yet?" She groaned.  
"Almost... Just can't decide."  
Hermione took one look at the three selected outfits and sighed.  
"They're all black." She concluded.  
"Really, genius? I hadn't noticed." Jessica stated sarcastically. "They're black but they're different."  
"Just go with the skirt. You love skirts." Hermione said, already losing her patience.  
Jessica shrugged and decided to go with her idea.

And so, at precisely five past seven, Jessica skipped down the stairs wearing a black and white plaid skirt, black tights, a white long sleeved top (because she figured it'd be too much black if that were black too), a black cardigan and black flats that had shiny purple tips. Her long dark hair was tied into a low, side pony tail and her usual chin-length bangs were clipped up.

The four walked straight past the Great Hall, which looked simply marvellous, and went towards the dungeons. The passageway, leading towards the party, had been lined with thin, jet-black candles, burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light over their living faces. The temperature dropped with every step they took.  
"I suddenly regret not wearing something warmer." Jessica muttered.  
As they got closer, they heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard. They turned a corner and finally saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.  
"My dear friends! Welcome, welcome... I'm so pleased you could come!" He said, bowing them inside.

It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed the midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles.  
"Shall we look around?" Harry suggested.  
"Careful not to walk through anyone." Ron said worriedly, as they walked around the edge of the dance floor.

They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, the Fat Fryer, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.  
"Charming, aren't they?" Jessica said, trying her best not to let her small smile fade from her lips.

"Oh no... Turn back! I don't want to talk to Moaning Murtle." Hermione whispered to the others, quickly grabbing their arms.  
"Joy to the world." Jessica groaned.  
"Who are we talking about?" Harry asked, curiously.  
"She haunts one of the toilets in the girl's bathroom on the first floor." Hermione whispered.  
"She haunts a toilet?" Harry asked, in slight disbelief.  
"Yes, we know it's pathetic." Jessica sighed. "It's always out of order because she has tantrums and floods the place."  
"I try my best to avoid going in there all together. It's hard to focus when someone's wailing at you." Hermione said, rolling her eyes.  
"Look, food!" Ron said suddenly, ignoring the previous conversation.

On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it eagerly but soon stopped their tracks, horrified. The smell was quite disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mould and, in pride of place, an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words _'Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington – died 31__st__ October, 1492'_.  
"I think they let it rot to give it a stronger flavour." Hermione stated, as she watched one of the ghosts walk through the food.

Nearly Headless Nick drifted through the crowd and eventually found the four still living people.  
"Enjoying yourselves?"  
"Yes!" They lied.  
"Not a bad turnout. The Wailing Widow came all the way from Kent... It's nearly time for my speech; I'd better go and warn the orchestra-"  
The orchestra, however, stopped playing at that very moment. They, and everyone else, fell silent, looking around in excitement as a hunting horn sounded.  
"Oh here we go." Nick said bitterly.  
Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly. The four noticed Nick's frown and decided to stay quiet. The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost, who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn. The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck. Jessica had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing at the sight.

The ghost, known as Sir Patrick, exchanged a few words with Nick before turning his attention to the four children.  
"Live 'uns! Don't mind his gloomy manner. He's still upset we won't let him join the hunt. But need I say – look at the fellow!"  
"Well... He's actually pretty frightening." Harry said, nervously.  
"Ha! Bet he asked you to say that!" Sir Patrick's head, which was now next to his elbow, stated.  
Nick ignored his rival ghost and attempted to make his speech. However no one paid attention to him because the members of the hunt had decided it would be fun to play head hockey.

The four mutually agreed it was time to head back. They were all freezing cold and starving. They backed towards the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who'd look at them, and soon ran back up the passageway.  
"Hopefully there's still pudding." Ron said eagerly.  
"Or we could just go to the kitchens!" Jessica grinned.

Harry suddenly stopped running. Jessica did the same only a second later. Hermione and Ron, who were now quite ahead of them stopped also, not understanding what was going on. Jessica looked back towards Harry.

_Rip... Tear... Kill... _

Was it possible that he could hear it too? Then surely she wasn't out of her mind. However, it couldn't be a good sign.  
"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, worriedly.  
"It's that voice again." He whispered. "It's moving... This way!"  
Harry ran off, quickly followed by Hermione and Ron. Jessica stayed frozen for a slight second. What should she do? She didn't want people on her case, thinking she was crazy for hearing voices. But she couldn't leave Harry alone, could she?

Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor. He strained his ears. He could faintly hear the voice.

_I smell blood... I SMELL BLOOD... _

"It's going to kill someone!" Harry shouted.  
Jessica had finally managed to catch up to them, having also heard the voice in her head. She followed the others as quickly as she could. They rushed back up to the second floor. They were all panting by this point.  
"Harry... What's all this about?" Ron asked, bending over his knees and catching a breath.  
"Look!" Hermione gasped, pointing down the corridor.  
Something was shining on the wall ahead. They were quite hesitant to approach so Jessica decided to go up front. She approached slowly, squinting through the darkness.  
"See anything?" Ron whispered, completely terrified.

Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.  
"Jess?" Harry called out.  
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened." She shouted back at them. She read the rest of the sentence to herself. "Enemies of the Heir, beware."  
By that point, the others had run towards her. Hermione re-read the entire thing out loud and stared at it, completely confused.  
"What's that thing hanging underneath?" Ron asked, a slight quiver in his voice.

Harry almost slipped as he edged nearer. There was a large puddle of water on the floor. The four of them had their eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath the message. They realised what it was at once and leapt backwards with a splash.  
"It's Mrs. Norris!" Hermione gasped. The cat was stiff and hanging by its tail from the torch bracket.  
"Let's get out of here." Ron said suddenly.  
"Shouldn't we try to help?" Harry wondered, awkwardly.  
"No, Ron's right. We need to get out of here." Jessica nodded.

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends. The noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. The four Gryffindor second years stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forwards to see.  
"Enemies of the Heir, beware!" Draco Malfoy read out loud. "You'll be next mudbloods."  
Draco Malfoy smirked as he looked towards the stiff cat. Jessica glared at him angrily. She would've pounced on him if Dumbledore hadn't appeared that very moment.

* * *

**And the Chamber of Secrets has been opened... Jessica can hear the Basilisk... Does anyone know why she can hear it? I DO! ;x Ok, sorry... I'll stop being mean (for now) **

**I'll see y'all next time! XOXO**


	5. Dobby, the House Elf

**Gooood day fellow readers! How art thou? Ok, I'll stop that. So I finished this chapter - yey - I guess you can all thank MeganAllard for annoying... Ops, I mean asking me to write this soon :p (you know I love you meg *-*) So yeah... I don't really have much to say, so we can just get on with it \o/ **

**Speaking of meg, your thanks comes first... ("basilisco"... nao sabia que era assim em portugues *o* PASHIPAHIPSHIPAS. E sim! Consegue... Todos vao entender nesse capitulo why, espero pelo menos! Seus reviews sao sempre baseados em Josh, to rindo muito. E sim, Flint maldito... E btw, vai ter mais momentos Lavender, parvati & josh :p Elas ainda vao paquerar muuuuuuuuito... Mas ele sempre será da Lila, prometo ;p Ate porque se nao, a lila mata ele e elas :x enfim.. Tem mais josh nesse *-*); **

**And thank you usuihentai727 ~ (Yep! she speaks parseltongue... I kinda gave out a small explanation is this chapter too :p And answering your question, Dyslexia - or Developmental Reading Disorder - is when the brain can't properly recognize certain symbols. So in other words, people with Dyslexia have a hard time learning to read. The person might have problems with rhyming and separating syllables. Despite all that, just because you have dyslexia, doesn't mean you're stupid. In fact, some people have above average intelligence :p My idea here was to show people exactly that - because Josh Selwyn is actually one of my smartest OC's :p - possibly even the second smartest! First place going to Anna, lol. Hope that helped and I hope you like the update!) **

**Phew! Ok... Let's get to it boys and girls! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Dobby, the House Elf**

Argus Filch was out for the kill. He was determined to get the four expelled for killing his cat. Luckily for them, Dumbledore was around to hold the fort. All the teachers were there, making sure the students maintained their distance as Professor Dumbledore retrieved Mrs. Norris. Jessica felt sick as she saw the stiff cat up close.  
"All students shall return to their dormitories. Except you four." Dumbledore ordered.  
"My office is nearest! We can all go there!" Professor Lockhart exclaimed, rather cheerful despite the circumstances.  
Jessica noticed her brother still staring at the message on the wall. He had his eyebrows furrowed together and looked angry. It only made Jessica feel worse.  
"Joshua, head back please." Professor McGonagall called out, bringing the Selwyn siblings back to reality.

Lockhart's office was definitely something they wouldn't forget so easily. He had a series of pictures of himself hanging on the walls. Jessica would've laughed at the one with him wearing hair rollers, if she hadn't been worried about her upcoming punishment. Dumbledore placed Mrs. Norris on the polished surface of Lockhart's desk and examined her. Harry noticed Professor Snape had a peculiar look on his face, as if he was trying his best not to smile. Harry tried his very best not to jump to conclusions and assume Snape was evil again, but it was very hard not to. Professor McGonagall was poking the cat and sighing every now and then. Lockhart was proving he could be more unbearable than usual.  
"It was definitely a curse that killed her. Possibly the Transmorgrifian Torture. I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her!"  
Jessica mentally groaned and rolled her eyes every time the man decided to talk. At one point McGonagall noticed and gave her a short glare.

Dumbledore began muttering words under his breath, which the four couldn't comprehend, and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand. Though, nothing happened.  
"I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou." Lockhart said. "A series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once."

"She's not dead, Argus, but she has been petrified." Dumbledore stated eventually. Lockhart stopped in the middle of counting how many murders he'd prevented. He clicked his fingers above his head and said he had the exact thought. "But how, I cannot say."  
"Ask them!" Filch shouted, pointing at the four students.  
"No second year could have done this." Dumbledore stated. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-"  
"They did it! You saw what they wrote on the wall! Potter found in my office... He knows I'm a... I'm a-"  
"I never touched the cat!" Harry shouted, getting up from his seat. Jessica stared at him and pulled on his arm for him to sit back down. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."  
"Filch is a Squib?" Jessica wondered in complete disbelief. She then noticed it possibly hadn't been the best of times to make such a comment and shrank slightly.  
"If I may Headmaster..." Snape said, from the shadows. The students were certain whatever the man had to say wasn't going to do them any good. "Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were you in the upstairs corridor? Why weren't you at the Halloween feast?"  
Ron and Hermione began telling them about the death day party and explaining all the different ghosts and how Sir Nicholas was upset for not being a part of the Headless Hunt.  
"But why not join the feast afterwards?" Snape asked, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight of the room.

"Because..." Harry's heart was thumping very fast. How could he explain to them what brought him there? "Because we were tired and wanted to go to bed."  
"Without supper?" Snape wondered. Jessica knew the game he was playing. She'd seen her mother do it once or twice before. He wanted them in trouble.  
"We weren't hungry!" Ron said quickly and hopefully loud enough to cover the sound his stomach made.

"I believe Potter isn't being entirely truthful. It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest." Snape sneered.  
"Really, Severus, I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that they have done anything."  
"Well, the truth is... We didn't go to the Great Hall because we figured it would be nicer to eat just the four of us in the kitchens." Jessica said innocently, hoping they would be let down easily.  
"You should've have just said so earlier, Miss Selwyn." McGonagall smiled. "Like I said, there is no evidence they're involved."  
"My cat has been petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Filch shrieked.  
"We will be able to cure her, Argus." Dumbledore said, patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they reach their full size, Severus can have a potion made-"  
"I'll do it!" Lockhart interrupted, still extremely cheerful. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep!"  
"Excuse me, but I believe I am the Potions master at this school." Snape said icily. Jessica smirked as the two eyed each other angrily.  
"You may go." Dumbledore stated, waving off the four students.

They left the room as quickly as they could, without actually running. Once they were a floor above Lockhart's office, Harry pulled his three friends into an empty classroom.  
"Do you think I should've told them about the voice I heard?" He asked, worriedly.  
"No!" Jessica blurted out, much quicker than she'd intended.  
"Hearing things no one else can hear isn't a good sign, Harry, not even in the wizarding world." Hermione stated.  
"You do believe me, don't you?" Harry asked, still worried. Jessica nodded, again too quickly.  
"Of course we do!" Ron stated. "But you have to admit, it's pretty weird."  
"I know it's weird. This whole thing is weird! I didn't even understand what the writing on the wall meant."  
"You know... The name kind of rings a bell. I think Bill once told me a story about a secret chamber in Hogwarts. Not really sure though."

x.x

Filch remained where Mrs. Norris had been attacked most of the time, as if the attacker would return to the crime scene. He was extremely moody and would often hand out detention because someone 'breathed too loudly' or 'looked too happy'. Ginny Weasley, who apparently was a cat lover, was in complete shock by the situation. Hermione was also acting strangely. She'd been huddled with her books more often than usual and barely talked to anyone.

Jessica managed to catch her brother, who'd been avoiding her slightly, during lunch.  
"You don't seriously think I had anything to do with it, do you?" She said, slightly irritated.  
"When did I say that?" He asked, surprised by the sudden encounter.  
"You're avoiding me, Joshua." She stated.  
He sighed and dragged her out of the Great Hall. The last thing he wanted was people listening in on their conversation. He let go of her hand once they were outside.

"I'm not avoiding you... I was just trying to avoid this conversation." He sighed.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, rolling her eyes.  
"Listen Jess... They say there's something hidden inside the chamber. Something only the heir of Slytherin can control. The main targets are muggle-borns, because Slytherin never really liked them."  
"Your point is..." She wondered.  
"Well... He _is _our ancestor and I do recall the time we found a snake at Grandpa Ben's-"Jessica violently smacked his arm before he could finish the sentence. "What the heck was that for?"  
"Don't _ever _mention that day to anyone!" She whispered.  
"I'm not going to! I'm just wondering if you by any chance could-"  
"Are you suggesting that I'm behind all this? Have you completely lost your mind? There were no voices in my head, whatsoever!" Jessica said, still trying to hit his arm but being held by the wrists.  
"So you did hear something then?" Josh smirked. "Munchkin... I'm not saying it was you, but you should be careful in case someone's trying to do something, ok? If you can hear something then I know, that you know what it means."  
Jessica groaned and released herself from her brother, walking off furiously.

Jessica bumped into Harry as she made her way towards the library. He caught her before she fell to the ground.  
"This looks familiar." He smiled.  
"At least you managed to catch me this time." She grinned.  
"Are you ok? You were looking slightly moody just a few seconds ago." He looked at her worriedly.  
"Just a small argument with Joshua. Nothing important and I don't really feel like talking about it." She smiled.

They found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three foot long composition on 'The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards'.  
"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short!" Ron complained, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. "And Hermione's done four feet, seven inches, and her writing's tiny!"  
"Where is she anyway?" Jessica wondered, looking around the room.  
"Somewhere in between the shelves, looking for another book." Ron muttered.  
"She's probably trying to read the entire library before Christmas." Harry grinned. "Anyway... Justin Finch-Fletchley completely avoided me just now."  
"Don't know why you care... I thought he was a bit of an idiot. All that junk about Lockhart being so great." Ron shrugged and rolled his eyes after mentioning Lockhart.

Hermione eventually decided to join them. She looked irritable but finally seemed ready to talk to them.  
"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out and there's a two week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all those Lockhart books."  
"Why do you want it?" Harry wondered.  
"The same reason as everyone else, of course." Hermione huffed.  
"To read about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets." Jessica stated, rolling her eyes.  
"Wait... There's a legend?" Harry said, his eyes widening slightly.  
"Yes and I can't remember what it said." Hermione whined.  
"Hermione... Let me read your composition?" Ron begged, not paying attention to their conversation.  
"No! You've had ten days to finish it. Even Jess' done." Hermione stated.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jessica asked, raising an eyebrow.

The bell rang and they headed to their class, Ron and Hermione bickering all the way. Professor Binn's began speaking as soon as everyone was in the room. Jessica was sitting next to Harry and was practically falling asleep on his arm as the Professor spoke in his usual bored tone. Harry would smirk and nudge her every now and then so she wouldn't get into trouble. At some point, he nudged her harder, making her jump in her seat slightly.  
"He's talking about the chamber." Harry whispered to a sleepy Jess. He smiled when he realised her ponytail was all messy.  
"Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from muggle eyes, for it was a time when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

"Wow, not even when he's telling us something interesting he changes that tone." Jessica whispered to Harry, who had to bite his lip to not laugh.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang between them. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."

Jessica looked across the room. Some Hufflepuff's were whispering about Harry being the heir of Slytherin. She took a deep breath, to keep her from groaning or rolling her eyes at them. Harry was paying close attention to what Professor Binns was saying and playing with the button on Jessica's sleeve.

"Reliable historical sources tell us this much, but these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the chamber so that none would be able to open it until his true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the chamber, unleash the horror within and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."  
"How would the heir know what to do?" Hannah Abbott asked.

Jessica noticed Harry tensed slightly. She looked up at him worriedly. He relaxed and smiled down at her, before moving his hands towards the charm bracelet she was wearing and fiddling with the charms.

"The heir would have to be related to Slytherin. His entire family is consisted of witches and wizards. He, or she, would also be able to speak parseltongue, the language of the snakes. That was how Slytherin determined his heirs. Those in his family tree, who had the ability, would be considered his heir. The heir would be capable of controlling the monster that supposedly lies within. The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course. Naturally, the school has been searched many times but no evidence was found of such a chamber. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."

The students tried to pry more information from their Professor but he kept assuring them everything was fine and there was no chamber. Jessica hoped Harry hadn't noticed her discomfort during the entire story. She definitely wasn't mentioning the voice to anyone.

x.x

Jessica skipped spending time with the others and dinner and focused on her homework in the common room. Her mind was racing slightly. She didn't want to think about the chamber or the possibilities of her being the heir but the thought was rushing through her mind. She completely ignored it when her brother, the twins and Lee Jordan walked into the common room, bickering over their Potions lesson with Snape.  
"Yeah but, if you'd kept your mouth shut we wouldn't be in this mess!" Lee exclaimed.  
"You know my pride wouldn't allow me to keep quiet." Josh smirked, sitting next to his sister on the sofa. "Where were you? Harry's been asking about you non-stop."  
"He's your boyfriend, isn't he?" Lee asked, wriggling his eyebrows.  
"We're just friends and I wasn't hungry." Jessica muttered, rolling her eyes.  
"She's in a bad mood, boys." Fred grinned.  
"I suggest we leave." George stated, already getting up.  
"What a brilliant idea!" Jessica said, sarcastically.  
"You go ahead; the two of us need to talk." Josh sighed.

Jessica closed her book and rolled up her parchment. She obviously wasn't escaping this one.  
"I know what you're thinking, Munchkin, but just relax. It's possibly just some weird prank or something." Josh smiled.  
"Is that supposed to convince me or you?" Jessica wondered.  
"Fine... I'm worried, ok? Just don't shut us all out... If anything happens, let me know. We could always talk to Dumbledore. He knows about our family relations."

Harry, Ron and Hermione finally came back to the common room. Harry smiled once he spotted Josh talking to Jess.  
"I'll leave you kids alone." Josh smirked, getting up and heading upstairs.  
"Jess, help us out, will you? Ron seems to think the heir of Slytherin is Malfoy." Hermione stated, showing hostility towards the Malfoy name.  
"You heard him! 'You'll be next mudbloods!', if you ask me, I'd say he's the one behind all this. It makes perfect sense." Ron exclaimed.  
"He's not the heir, Ron." Jessica laughed.  
"What makes you so sure?" Ron asked, irritated.  
"He's just not, ok? Neither is Harry for that matter." She said, rolling her eyes.  
"Well that's just it... How can I know it's not me? Slytherin existed centuries ago. For all I know he could be my ancestor." Harry sighed.  
"I still think it's Malfoy. It's like you said, Slytherin existed centuries ago. This title could've been passed down from father to son for all we know. I just wish we could prove it somehow." Ron said.  
"Well... There is a way, but it'll be dangerous. _Very _dangerous. Not to mention we'd be breaking at least fifty school rules. We would need to break into the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions." Hermione stated, still angry towards Malfoy.  
"But that's impossible." Harry laughed.  
"No... It isn't. Not if we use Polyjuice potion. We could use it to transform into four Slytherin students, who are close to Malfoy. He'd tell us anything!" She beamed.  
After a moment of silence, Jess gathered her things and headed upstairs. She mumbled a good night to the three of them but she wasn't entirely sure if they heard it or not.

x.x

The first Quidditch game of the season soon came round and the entire school was excited to see what was going to happen, since everyone knew about the ongoing rivalry between Harry and Draco. Jessica had spent most of her time focusing on school work and avoiding any conversations related to the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione had filled her in about the clues they'd found and how she'd managed to find the ingredients to brew the Polyjuice potion. She seemed unnaturally eager to break a few school rules. Jess managed to get excited for the Quidditch game, however. Especially since the two commenting would be her brother and Lila Davis.

"Good morning Hogwarts students! Today should be an interesting match. I'm sure you all heard about Slytherin's new seeker. Of course, it must be easy getting onto the team after buying every player a new broom." Josh snickered into the microphone. He was making good use of his time whilst McGonagall didn't arrive to keep him in line. Though, he hadn't expected Lila to do just that.  
"Now, now... There's no need to bring that up, Joshua. I might find you adorable but that doesn't mean you can trash my house." Lila smirked.  
Josh would've answered with a perfect comeback but McGonagall had made her way up to the stands and was already looking furious.  
"Lee Jordan was supposed to be here, Mr. Selwyn." McGonagall whispered.  
"Yeah... About that... Jordan's got a sore throat so he asked me to step up. There was really nothing I could do, and besides, the public loves me." Josh grinned.

The crowd cheered as the players made their way to the field. Jessica noticed Draco's smug look on his new broom. A small part of her wanted him to do well on his very first game, especially because he was a huge Quidditch fan, but the majority of her wanted Gryffindor to win. They always had great parties in the common room whenever they won. Ginny Weasley finally managed to find her way through the crowd and stood next to Ron. Hagrid was standing behind all of them, already cheering. Harry flew up towards his friends and focused his greenish-blue eyes on chocolate brown.  
"Wish me luck?" He winked.  
"Good luck." Jessica smirked.  
Jessica saw Ginny sigh as Harry flew back towards his teammates.

"Let the games begin!" Josh shouted eagerly. McGonagall sighed in the background.  
"Angelina Johnson is in-"  
"Rogue bludger people! We've got a rogue bludger!" Josh shouted, interrupting Lila and earning a glare. "Sorry babe."  
McGonagall's eyes went wide at his choice of words. Lila smirked at the teacher's looks and decided to have a little fun.  
"It's fine, sexy. You can make it up to me later."  
"Will you two focus on the game!" McGonagall shouted.  
"Fred! George! Get that damn thing away from Potter!" Josh shouted.  
"Meanwhile, Wood-"  
"It's still after Harry! Professor, do something!" Josh stated, turning towards McGonagall.  
"SCORE! Slytherin sixty points, Gryffindor zero." Lila smirked, drawing Josh's attention back to the field.  
"What? When did that happen?" He wondered.

"Why is it there's always something out to get Harry?" Jessica groaned.  
"Do you think you can stop it Hermione?" Ron asked.  
"No... I could end up hitting Harry."  
"But he'll be ok, won't he?" Ginny asked, worriedly.

"Time out! Oliver Wood has called a time out! Come on Gryffindor, you can't seriously lose to those losers!" Josh called out.  
"Watch it, Selwyn." Lila smirked. "You don't want to get me angry-"  
"And we're back! The bludger is still going crazy and apparently no one seems to care. But seeing as Professor McGonagall isn't really telling me to shut up-"  
"Joshua James-"  
"Just joking, Professor!" Josh grinned.  
"Pucey's on target! She hits... Damn! Blocked by Oliver Wood. Captain Marcus Flint in back in possession." Lila continued trying to comment on the game, despite Josh's constant distractions.  
"He's hit! Player down!" Josh shouted.

Jessica had been trying to keep up with Harry twirling around the field but it was starting to get difficult. He truly was a fast flyer. She made a mental note to never fly a broomstick with Harry Potter. She'd hated the time she flew with Draco and Harry was much faster. She was brought back to reality at the sound of her brother's voice through the speakers and Ginny screaming. All she saw next was Harry falling to the ground.

"He caught the snitch! Yes! That's Gryffindor for you! We rule this school!" Josh shouted eagerly.  
"Yes, let's all just ignore the fact that Harry just fell to the ground." Lila said, sarcastically.  
"Oh... Medical support people! Move your legs a little faster and go see if he's alive!" Josh shouted.

Jessica rushed into the field, despite everyone telling her not to. Ron and Hermione followed closely behind. The rogue bludger was apparently still after Harry. It rose high into the air and prepared to fall back down on Harry. Jessica screamed and tried to move him out of the way, with no luck. She settled with throwing herself over him. Hermione managed to destroy it, now that she was close enough, before it hit both Harry and Jess.  
"You're insane." Harry smiled.  
"Well, I wasn't really thinking when I ran over here." Jessica blushed slightly, getting off her friend. "Your arm looks horrendous."  
"I think it's broken." Harry sighed.

They all noticed Lockhart making his way towards Harry, his wand ready for action.  
"Never fear dear boy! I can fix that arm of yours in a heartbeat!" He exclaimed.  
"Professor, I don't mean to be rude, but it might be wiser to take him to Madam-"  
"Nonsense Miss Selwyn!" Lockhart chirped, making Jessica groan.  
The other Gryffindor players were also insisting that Harry should go to the Hospital wing. Even Josh was yelling through the microphone, for Lockhart to leave him alone. Of course, none of the protests worked and Lockhart focused on Harry's arm.

A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Harry's shoulder and spread all the way down to his fingertips. It felt as though his arm was being deflated. He didn't dare look at what was happening.  
"Ah..." Lockhart said, staring at Harry's strange looking arm.  
"Nice going, Professor. Perhaps now you could try killing him or something?" Jessica suggested, sarcastically.  
"Bear in mind, the bones are no longer broken!" Lockhart laughed nervously.  
"Broken? There are no bones left!" Ron shouted, his ears going red.

Jessica groaned and proceeded to help Harry get up. Ron helped her by lifting him up on the other side. They carefully took Harry do Madam Pomfrey, who was extremely angry that he hadn't been brought in sooner.  
"Despite your bone-less arm, we won!" Fred cheered as he dashed into the room.  
"You should've seen the look on Malfoy's face." George grinned.  
"You should've seen Flint yelling at him just a few seconds ago." Josh smirked.

x.x

Madam Pomfrey agreed on letting Jessica stay after curfew to help Harry settle in. The team promised to postpone the party until Harry was feeling better. Hermione and Ron headed back to get their homework done. Jessica sat on the bed next to Harry's and read through his Herbology homework.  
"I think it's all correct. Though, it's still best to check with Hermione. I'll show her in the morning and fix whatever needs to be fixed." She smiled.  
"You don't have to... I mean, the teachers know I'm in here. I might get a chance to hand it in later." Harry said.  
Jessica shrugged and rolled up his parchment neatly. She'd still double check his work with Hermione in the morning and hand it in. She slightly felt obligated to do so.

"I still can't believe Lockhart melted your bones." Jessica groaned.  
"Yeah... And I can't believe you almost took a bludger to the head. You're insane." Harry said, shaking his head.  
"You've said that already." Jessica pouted.  
"Well you are!" Harry smiled, throwing one of his pillows towards her. "Are you sleeping here?"  
"I might... This bed seems rather comfortable." Jessica shrugged.  
"What about pyjamas?" Harry wondered. Jessica pulled out a pair of grey sweatpants and a light blue t-shirt. Harry nodded as she got up to go change.

Harry kept talking non-stop, despite Jessica telling him to be quiet and rest. He didn't really enjoy sleeping in the Hospital wing and was quite glad that he had her there with him.  
"You really should've seen the spiders though... They were acting awfully strange. Did you know Ron is scared of spiders? Jess? Jessica..."  
Harry lifted himself slightly only to find his friend sleeping peacefully. He sighed and stared at the ceiling.

At some point, in the middle of the night, Harry groaned in pain. His arm now felt full of large splinters. For a second, he thought that was what had woken him. Then he realised someone was sponging his forehead in the dark. He yelled and sat up abruptly, momentarily ignoring the pain in his arm. He noticed Jessica jump up too and was mumbling incoherent words.  
"Dobby!" Harry said, once he had lit the candle on his bedside table.  
Jessica was slowly waking up and she noticed the small house elf, with goggling tennis ball eyes. She stared at him curiously. Was she dreaming?  
"Harry Potter came back to school. Dobby warned and warned Harry Potter. Ah sir, why didn't you listen to Dobby? Why didn't Harry Potter go back home when he missed the train?" The house elf cried.  
Harry's eyes went wide and Jessica was still trying to understand the situation. She then recognized Dobby from Draco Malfoy's home. She'd seen him a few times. He was a very nice and kind elf.

"What are you doing here and how did you know I missed the train?" Harry asked, angrily. Dobby's lip trembled. "It was you! You stopped the barrier from letting us through!"  
"Wait... He's the reason you and Ron got into trouble?" Jessica said, more awake than before.  
"Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and sealed the gateway. Dobby had to iron his hands afterwards." He showed them ten long, bandaged fingers.  
"Oh Dobby! You didn't have to hurt yourself!" Jessica said, wanting to hug the small house elf.  
"But Dobby didn't care, sir, for he thought Harry Potter was safe, and never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter would get to school another way!" Dobby cried. Harry still looked furious. "Dobby was so shocked when he heard Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn!"  
"You nearly got Ron and me expelled!" Harry spat, slumping back onto his pillows. "You'd better get lost before my bones grow back, or I might strangle you."  
"Dobby is used to death threats, sir." Dobby smiled weakly. "Dobby gets them five times a day at home."  
"I'm surprised it's not more." Jessica mumbled.

Dobby blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore; looking so pathetic that Harry felt his anger decrease.  
"Why do you wear that thing, Dobby?" Harry asked, curiously.  
"This, sir? This is a mark of the house elf's enslavement, sir." Dobby said, plucking at the pillowcase.  
"A house elf can only be free if their masters present them with clothes." Jessica nodded.  
"The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house forever." Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and returned his gaze towards Harry. "Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his bludger would be to make-"  
"_Your _bludger?" Harry's anger was rising once again. "What do you mean, your bludger? You almost killed me! You almost killed both of us!"  
"Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" The house elf said, in complete shock. "Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life-"  
"Oh right... So you send a bludger to knock him off his broom. Very wise, Dobby." Jessica stated, rolling her eyes.  
"Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!"  
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you want me home so badly?" Harry still couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
"If only Harry Potter knew!" Dobby groaned, more tears dripping onto his ragged pillowcase. "If only he knew what he means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when he-who-must-not-be-named was at the height of his powers, sir! We house elf's were treated like vermin, sir! Of course, Dobby still is treated like vermin."  
"Even still, Dobby, it was wrong to do something so dangerous." Jessica sighed, patiently hoping the creature would calm down.  
"Terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts. Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more." Harry and Jessica stared with eyes wide. Then Dobby froze, terrified, and grabbed Harry's water jug from his bedside table and cracked it over his own head. "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby."  
Jessica groaned slightly and removed the broken pieces from Dobby and Harry's bed.

"So there is a chamber?" Harry whispered. "And it's been opened before... Tell me, Dobby! I'm not muggle-born, how can I be in danger?"  
"Ah, sir, ask no more of poor Dobby!" He stammered. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but Harry Potter must not be here when they happen. Go home, Harry Potter! Harry Potter must not meddle in this, sir!"  
"Dobby, you must tell us! Who opened it last time?" Jessica insisted.  
"Dobby can't, miss! Dobby mustn't tell! Harry Potter must go home!" He squealed.  
"I'm not going anywhere! One of my best friends is muggle-born, she'll be first in line if the chamber really has been opened-"  
"Harry Potter risks his own life for his friends! So noble! So valiant! But Harry Potter must save himself, he must-"  
Dobby suddenly froze, his bat ears quivering. Harry and Jessica turned towards the door as they heard footsteps coming down the passageway outside. As Jessica turned back towards Harry, the house elf disappeared. They both quickly slumped back into bed and closed their eyes.

The two heard people walking into the room and muttering a few words. They noticed someone approaching their beds and hoped they wouldn't be caught.  
"They're asleep, Albus." McGonagall whispered, blowing out the candle between them.  
"Good, good. Get Madam Pomfrey." Dumbledore whispered back.  
They heard urgent voices and a few gasps. Harry decided to open his eyes now that the candle was out and tried to see what was going on.  
"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked, not caring to whisper.  
"Another attack. Minerva found him on the stairs." Dumbledore stated.  
"There was a bunch of grapes next to him. We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter." McGonagall sighed.  
Harry mouthed 'Collin' to Jessica, who also had her eyes open and was staring at Harry, hoping to find out what was going on. Harry slowly raised himself, just to make sure he was right. Collin's eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera.  
"Petrified?" Madam Pomfrey whispered.  
"Yes... But I shudder to think... If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate, who knows what might have happened." McGonagall said, worriedly. "You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?"

Jessica scrunched up her nose when the smell of burnt plastic made its way towards their beds.  
"Melted... All melted." Madam Pomfrey cried.  
"What does this mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked, urgently.  
"It means... That the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been open, again. Hogwarts is no longer safe."  
"But Albus... Who-"  
"The question is not who, Minerva. How?"  
Jessica bit her lip. She knew Harry felt just as bad as she did. Perhaps she shouldn't have ignored the faint lingering voice she thought she heard just before Dobby appeared...

* * *

**Jess... Jess... Jess... You should really consider talking to someone about these voices my dear... Wait, what am I saying? I'm the one who created her to be secretive and and and - dammit. **

**Right, ignore that :p Soo... Had a few HarryJess moments in there (I can't help myself)... They're actually rather cute together, aren't they? *-* And... DOBBY! *-* Gosh I just love Dobby, don't you? Who does't love Dobby? Everyone loves Dobby!**

**So... I'll get started on the next chapter... After I've updated the Naruto fic (as always)... Which btw I haven't started writing just yet :x But I will! I promise! **

**Oooohhh... Is it snowing where you all live? It's been snowing for like a week here (on and off)... And yesterday snowed sooooooooo much that it's actually pretty high *o* I'm still in shock because I've NEVER seen this much snow! It's sooo pretty and white *-* - Of course, I'm not counting the miserable black ice that forms across the roads and makes you fall on your bum and pray no cars hit you :p LOL **

**So if it is snowing wherever you are - stay warm, stay healthy... And please try not to fall down! :p (easier said than done, I know!) **

**XOXO!**


	6. Duels and Dungeons

**Helloo! I'm back earlier than I expected to be, but that's because I haven't started the next chapter of my naruto fic and I watched harry Potter this week (watching the film gets me in the mood for writing. Can't help it!) So yeah, I know no one - except meg - reviewed the last one, but who cares. The update's here! :p **

**So please excuse me while I thank MeganAllard for the review... a McGonagall ainda vai surtar MUITO com aqueles dois, te garanto (y) Josh é o lado engracado da minha historia dramatica - voce sabe que eu amo um drama :x - E siim, minha intencao era fazer a Jess ficar meio perdida. Tipo "e se eu to fazendo isso mesmo?" sabe tipo que nem o harry? So que talvez um pouco mais porque ela sabe que é da familia do Slytherin .-. Espero que tenha ficado do jeito que queria :p E idem - se eu nao fosse DracoJess, seria TOTAL HarryJess :x Eles tambem sao lindos *-* Mas nao resisto, DracoJess é tudo *-* Adoro a ideia dos dois juntos s2**

**Right, now that I've got that settled, we can head on to the update *o* Enjoy!**

* * *

**Duels and Dungeons**

Jessica tried to get a closer look at Collin Creevey once she was up and rested, but his bed was fully covered and she didn't feel like getting into trouble with Madam Pomfrey for peeking. She ran up to Gryffindor Tower while Harry ate his breakfast and got dressed. She spotted Hermione and Ron along the way and quickly made her way towards them.  
"We know about Collin!" Hermione blurted out. "We heard Professor McGonagall talking to Professor Snape."  
"So now we're heading to the bathroom to get started on the potion." Ron whispered.  
"Ok... Well I just need a quick shower and a change of clothes, but I'll meet you there with Harry in a bit." Jessica nodded, before rushing off.

She ran up to her room, opening the door breathlessly. Lavender and Parvati were both up and doing their nails.  
"Good morning Jess!" Parvati smiled.  
"Morning." Jessica nodded, gathering her clothes.  
"Anyway... Did you see him last night, sleeping on the sofa? It was the most adorable thing ever! Honestly, he's like heaven on Earth!" Lavender sighed.  
"And when he started playing around with the others and three of his buttons were open! That was the highlight of my night!" Parvati grinned.  
"Sounds like you two had fun last night." Jessica smirked.  
"Oh Jess, I hope you don't mind us talking about your brother like this. But we just can't help it!" Parvati said, getting slightly anxious as Jessica raised an eyebrow.  
"He's absolutely perfect. I wonder if he likes younger girls... Jess, could you ask him if he'd be interested in dating me?" Lavender grinned.  
"Well... He is kind of dating Lila Davis-"  
"Like that will last." Lavender scoffed.  
"Everyone knows Lila's only holding onto your brother so Marcus Flint will finally leave her alone." Parvati stated.  
"I don't know... I get the feeling there's something there." Jessica wondered.  
"Don't be daft, Jess. Just ask him for me, ok? As soon as possible!" Lavender grinned.  
Jessica shrugged and headed to the bathroom. It was easier to just go along with Lavender's suggestion than argue with her.

Lavender banged on the bathroom door just as Jessica was pulling her tights up. She rolled her eyes as she balanced herself against the moist wall.  
"Almost finished!" Jessica called out, hoping her Josh-crazy roommate wouldn't open the door and catch her with no clothes on.  
"Ginny said Josh is downstairs with his friends! Go talk to him!" Lavender pleaded on the other side. Jessica groaned loudly.  
"Could I at least get dressed first?"

Jessica ran downstairs, closely followed by Lavender and Parvati. She wondered if they could be more obvious. She knew she didn't have much time to waste. She had to get Harry and head over to the bathroom and help Hermione and Ron finish the potion... Even though she wasn't really looking forward to turning into another Slytherin student.  
"Josh... Lavender and Parvati want to spend some time with you, because they think you're gorgeous. Be nice, ok?" Jessica said, quickly, as she rushed past her brother and his friends. Josh stared as his younger sister quickly made her way out of the common room. He was still processing the information when the two girls appeared in the staircase.  
"It wasn't supposed to come out like that!" Parvati laughed, nervously.  
"I'll kill her!" Lavender said, clenching her fists.  
"Calm down girls, no killing my sister." Josh smirked. "Care to join us?"

Jessica ran back to the Hospital wing, as fast as she could, only to discover that Harry had already left. She groaned loudly and slowly walked towards the bathroom. Hopefully he would've headed that way and not back to Gryffindor Tower. She didn't really believe Draco Malfoy was behind all this. She did, however, believe it could be someone with no relation to the heir whatsoever. Simply acting as a cover. Seeing as Draco had expressed himself very clearly about muggle-born's, she couldn't help but have her doubts.

She pushed her way into the bathroom, after knocking three times, and smiled once she saw Harry.  
"I was telling them about Dobby, and everything else." Harry said. Jessica nodded and sat next to him.  
"We need to decide who we'll be changing into." Hermione stated, putting some of the ingredients in her hands aside.

x.x

Jessica would've fallen asleep instantly that night, if it wasn't for the two girls viciously hugging her as soon as she walked into her room.  
"Could you two please let go?" Jessica mumbled, as the two girls squeezed her tightly.  
"You are simply the best!" Parvati said, extremely cheerful.  
"We spent the entire afternoon with your brother and his friends. I think I'm even more in love than I was before!" Lavender squealed.  
"Yes, well that's lovely. Now please let me go to bed before I get extremely grumpy."

The news that Collin Creevey had been attacked had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups. Ginny Weasley, who say next to Collin in Charms, was distraught. Fred and George decided it would be cheerful to cover themselves with fur or boils, and jump out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Percy told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares. Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets and other protective devices was sweeping the school. Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail. The other Gryffindor boys told him he was in no danger; he was a pureblood, therefore unlikely to be attacked.  
"They went for Filch first and everyone knows I'm almost a Squib!" He would say.

In the second week of December, Professor McGonagall came around, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron and Hermione signed her list. They heard Malfoy was staying and Jessica had mentioned it was rather strange. Jessica asked her parents to stay at school during Christmas, before signing the list. Surprisingly, they didn't mind at all. Her mother wrote back saying she had to be down south and her father was extremely busy at the ministry. The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of Draco. Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed a few ingredients, which were only found in Snape's private stores.

"What we need is a diversion, and then one of us can sneak into Snape's office." Hermione whispered, as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer. "I think I'd better do the actual stealing... Or perhaps Jess. You two will be expelled if you get into any more trouble. The two of us have clean records. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so." Harry and Ron groaned slightly. Causing mayhem in Snape's class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.

Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making unpleasant remarks about the Gryffindor's work. Draco Malfoy, who was Snape's favourite student, kept flickering puffer-fish eyes at Jessica. She knew that if she retaliated, she would get detention faster than she could say 'unfair'.  
"I... I don't think I can do this." Hermione whispered, nervously.  
"Do what? It's a simple potion Mione-"  
"No I mean... Stealing." She said, even quieter. Jessica sighed.  
"Fine... I'll do it. Just make sure Harry and Ron have a good distraction."

Hermione finally had the chance to send her signal when Snape decided to bully Neville. Harry swiftly ducked down behind his cauldron, pulled on of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket, and gave it a quick prod with his wand. The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Harry straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron. His potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of Swelling Solution hit them.

Jessica tried not to laugh as she cautiously made her way towards Snape's office. Once there, she read through the list Hermione had handed her. She quickly eyed the shelves and grabbed what was needed.  
"Why aren't you taller, Jessica?" She groaned to herself, as she climbed onto Snape's desk, got on her tiptoes and reached up to get the final flask needed.  
She adjusted the objects into her robes, so it wouldn't look completely obvious, and innocently made her way back to the classroom.

"He knew it was me." Harry said, as they hurried back to the bathroom. "I'm sure he knew."  
Hermione grabbed the ingredients from Jessica's robes, threw them into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly.  
"It'll be ready in two weeks." She grinned.  
"Snape can't prove it was you." Ron said eventually.  
"He's right... There's nothing he can do." Jessica nodded.

x.x

A week later, the quartet were walking across the entrance hall, when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.

"They're starting a Dueling Club! First meeting's tonight!" Seamus beamed. "I wouldn't mind some duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days."  
"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" Ron said, rolling his eyes. Though, he too seemed excited about the club.

"It could be useful." Ron said, during dinner.  
"I suppose it could be interesting. Besides, knowing Draco, I'm sure he'll turn up. That way we can get an idea of what he's capable of." Jessica smirked.

They hurried back to the Great Hall at eight o'clock, that evening. The long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.  
"I wonder who'll be teaching us..." Hermione said, staring ahead.  
"Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young, wasn't he?" Jessica wondered. "Well, as long as it's not the fraud then-"  
The end of her sentence was substituted by a very loud and annoyed groan. Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, swaying like royalty in his robes of deep plum. Snape was accompanying him, wearing his usual black.  
"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" Lockhart chirped, excitedly as always. Hermione gently nudged Jessica when she rolled her eyes. "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I may have done on countless occasions... For full details, see my published works."

"You'd think that, after a while, he'd get tired of trying to get us to actually read his books." Jessica whispered, earning yet another, though slightly harder, nudge from Hermione.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." Lockhart grinned. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself, and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry, you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him!"  
Snape's upper lip was curling, and Lockhart's smile wasn't fading. They turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. They raised their wands like swords in front of them.  
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position." Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we shall cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Harry murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on Snape's expression.

"One – two – three-"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent.  
"Expelliarmus!" Snape cried.  
There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. He flew backward, off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down to sprawl on the floor.

"Brilliant!" Jessica blurted out, clapping happily, grinning, and not caring about the stares she was receiving. Malfoy and a few other Slytherin's began cheering after Jessica pronounced herself.  
"Do you think he's alright?" Hermione squealed, completely ignoring her friend and how insensitive she was.  
"Who cares?" Harry and Ron said simultaneously, both grinning widely.  
Jessica tuned out as Lockhart got to his feet and began talking again. She did smirk once she realised he was slightly messed up. Though, she still didn't believe it was enough payback for the pixies. She was forcefully brought back into the real world when she felt Lockhart pulling against her arm.  
"Miss Selwyn can work with Mr. Zabini."

Jessica smirked and raised her wand. Blaise sighed and did the same.  
"You look like you're enjoying this a little too much." Blaise stated.  
"It's payback time, Zabini." She shrugged, her smirk never fading.  
"Come on, Jess... It was just a stupid joke. Besides, it's in the past now... I thought you and Draco had settled your differences during summer."  
"Oh we did, but he decided to bring up new ones." She sighed. "And I don't care if it was a joke. It freaked me out."  
"So we filled your bed with spiders... You got back at us already! You set my hair on fire... And I liked having longer hair." Blaise laughed.  
"Well of course I got back at you... You didn't think I'd stop being friends with you before getting even, did you?" She said, rolling her eyes.  
"You know, sometimes I think Draco's right about you... You've got an evil side going on in there." He smirked, pointing towards her head. "That brain of yours belongs in Slytherin."  
Jessica grew angry and was just about ready to strike Blaise down. Lockhart counted them in and Jessica wasted no time. "Expelliarmus!"  
Blaise ended up with the same fate as Lockhart. Snape glared at her as she smirked in victory. Crabbe and Goyle ran towards Blaise and helped him up.  
"Better luck next time, Zabini."  
"What was that for, Selwyn? You could've killed him!" Goyle shouted, though he was ignored.

Jessica's attention was drawn towards Harry and Draco, who were battling it out to the very end, despite Lockhart telling them to stop. She bit her lip and tried not to laugh as Draco was hit with a tickling charm. Draco then made Harry's legs move on their own. Once again, Jessica found herself biting her lip and trying her very best not to laugh. Meanwhile, Lockhart was begging them to stop but didn't seem to have the courage to personally interfere. Eventually, Snape managed to get everyone in the room to settle down. He then suggested that Harry and Draco demonstrate to the entire class. Hermione rushed towards Jessica, rubbing her neck.  
"Millicent Bullstrode is much stronger than I suspected her to be."  
"I warned you." Jessica sang. "You should see her wrestling with Crabbe."  
"Scared, Potter?" Draco called out, making Jessica focus on them once again.  
"You wish." He murmured.  
As soon as Lockhart commenced the duel, Draco raised his wand and yelled: "Serpensortia!"

The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched as a long, black snake shot out of it, falling heavily onto the floor between them. It raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed away.  
"Don't move, Potter." Snape said, lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of-"  
"Allow me, Professor!" Lockhart brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang. The snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

In the midst of confusion and fearful students, Jessica suddenly froze as she heard Harry speaking. Her mind flashed back to what her brother had mentioned. She had told the snake to leave him alone. Yet, to him, it sounded like anything but. The snake did eventually back away from Justin, but by then, everyone in the room was staring at Harry.

"What do you think you're playing at?" Justin shouted, before storming out the hall.  
Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an unexpected way. Jessica quickly found her way to Harry and tugged his robe.  
"Let's go." She muttered. Ron and Hermione followed closely behind.

Jessica only let go of him once they were in the empty Gryffindor common room. Ron suddenly pushed Harry into an armchair and stared at him.  
"You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"  
"I'm a what?" Harry asked, not understanding what was going on.  
"You can talk to snakes!" Ron shouted.  
"I know... I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidently set a Boa Constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once – long story – but it was telling me it had never seen Brazil... And I sort of set it free without meaning to... That was before I knew I was a wizard, and-"  
"A Boa Constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated, faintly.  
"So? I bet loads of people here can do it." Harry shrugged.  
"Actually... No, they can't." Jessica mumbled.  
"It's not a very common gift... Harry, this is bad." Ron paled.  
"What's bad?" Harry asked, angrily. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"  
"Oh, that's what you said to it?" Ron said, eyes wide.  
"You were there! You heard me!"  
"I heard you speaking Parseltongue." Ron nodded. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything... No wonder Justin panicked! You sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was pretty creepy."

Jessica tuned out the rest of their conversation, which they all soon noticed. After a while, they decided she felt like being alone and bid her goodnight. Harry spotted Josh sitting on the stairs and paled. Had he been listening to their conversation? Harry stared at the blond fourth year for a second or two. He was leaning against the wall and his face was covered by a book. He could've been sleeping – in a very peculiar place.  
"How long are you going to stand there, Potter?" Josh called out, making Harry jump down a step.  
"S-sorry... I thought you were listening-"  
"Relax, it's not like I'll be telling anyone... Of course, the entire school will know by morning." Josh smirked as he got up and ran downstairs. Harry sighed and continued on to his room.

"Wipe that frown off, munchkin." He sighed, dropping himself onto the floor, just below the sofa.  
"I need to tell him... I just don't know how." She whispered, holding back the tears. "He's getting blamed for something that isn't even his fault."  
"Well, it's not yours either." Josh said, resting on his elbows.  
"How can we be sure of that? What if I'm doing something without knowing? What if someone else is doing it for me, and I don't really know about it? What if-"  
"What if the previous heir was doing all this, because he, or she, doesn't know another heir was born?" Josh smirked. Jessica stared at him for a slight moment. "Get to bed, munchkin."  
He ruffled her hair and ran upstairs. Jessica stared at nothing, her eyes slightly widened.

x.x

Jessica was just about to sit down at her desk, fully prepared for whatever Transfiguration had in store for her today, when Peeves started yelling outside. An irritated Professor McGonagall tried her very best not to be fazed, but as Peeves came closer, they all heard clearly what he'd been calling out.

In one swift movement, the entire class was outside and staring at Harry. On the ground was Justin Finch Fletchley, and hanging motionless in the air, was Sir Nicholas. Jessica stared at Harry, and although she knew it wasn't him, she silently wondered why he was always caught in the middle. McGonagall managed to eventually silence Peeves and got into action. Justin was carried to the Hospital wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra, of the Astronomy department. McGonagall then conjured two large fans out of thin air and stared towards Jessica and Ernie Macmillan.  
"Fan him to Madam Pomfrey." She ordered. "The rest of you, back to class!"

Jessica began waving the large fan up and down. Ernie looked extremely angry. He was going on and on about how dangerous Harry Potter was, and he should be expelled or locked up in Azkaban.  
"You better tell your friend, Granger, to be careful. She keeps hanging around him like he's innocent. One day she'll-"  
"Ernie, I'm giving you this once in a lifetime opportunity to shut that bloody mouth of yours. If you comply, you'll head back to your dormitory with no harm done." She spat impatiently.  
"You're working with him, aren't you?" He screeched suddenly.  
Jessica hit him across the head with the fan and continued her way as if nothing happened. Ernie rubbed his head and frowned.  
"You're quite hostile for such a sweet-looking-" She hit him again. "Ouch! What was that for?"  
"I thought I told you to shut up." She muttered. Ernie became quiet and fanned Sir Nicholas without even glancing towards the young Selwyn.

x.x

It was a cold Saturday morning when Jessica found Pansy Parkinson in the library, apparently studying. She cautiously made her way towards the Slytherin and sat opposite her.  
"You do know that term's over, don't you?" Jessica wondered.  
"Yes." Pansy replied coldly. "What do you want, Selwyn?"  
"To talk, I suppose. But I completely understand if you'd rather be alone." She shrugged as she got up once again.  
"Wait... You can stay." Pansy sighed.  
Jessica tried not to grin when she took her place once more. She silently watched as Pansy finished off her History of Magic homework.

"I'm a bit behind at my schoolwork. Mum and Dad said I couldn't go home unless I handed everything in. Though, it's not my fault! Draco and Blaise never shut up whenever I'm trying to study." She complained.  
"They _never _shut up when they're together." Jessica smirked.  
"It's weird... You being in Gryffindor. I always imagined it'd be me, you and Millie all the way. I know you've never really been close with Millie, Vincent and Gregory... But I still find it weird." Pansy sighed. "Remember when I used to sleepover at your house?"  
"We would terrorize Anna whenever she was home." Jessica smiled.  
"What happened, Jess? Besides the obvious, of course."  
"I don't know." Jessica shrugged. "We all just grew apart."  
"I mean... I know you got pretty upset when I told everyone that you fancied Blaise-"  
"Which wasn't true." Jessica interrupted, rolling her eyes.  
"I know... But I was jealous because you and Draco were always together... And you know I fancy Draco." Pansy sighed. "But I can put that all behind me now because you spend your time with Harry Potter. So... Draco can accept the fact that he'll never have you and settle with me!"

Jessica stared at her for a few seconds before laughing.  
"Are you listening to yourself? He can't simply 'settle' with you. He has to like you... Which isn't impossible."  
"It would be if you were around... Which I guess I'm glad you're not." Pansy smirked.  
"Oh don't be so ridiculous. Draco and I will never be anything more than... Whatever we are now." Jessica rolled her eyes. "And you need to stop sounding like such a rebound. Get close to him or something... But not too close. Draco doesn't like clingy girls. He prefers more independent ones."  
"Wow... You know him quite well." Pansy said, failing to hide her shock.

The two chatted for a good two hours. It was almost like they were little girls again and nothing else mattered. They were both half expecting Anna to show up and ask them if they wanted to go to Diagon Alley or Hogsmede.  
"Hey! Do you still know how to do French braids?" Pansy asked suddenly.  
"Yeah... Why, haven't you learnt yet?" Jessica laughed.  
"I'm hopeless, and you know it. Please braid my hair? Don't make me beg!" Pansy pleaded.  
Jessica seriously couldn't have asked for better timing. She shrugged and made her way behind Pansy's chair. Pansy pulled out a hairbrush and hair band and handed them to Jess. She grinned as the young Selwyn began brushing her short hair.  
"It won't come out perfect, because your hair's short... But I can definitely get something done." Jess grinned.  
"I know you'll manage."

It took Jessica only five minutes to get Pansy's hair done. Pansy squealed and hugged her old friend tightly. Jessica then stared at Pansy's hairbrush.  
"Hey... Do you mind if I borrow that to quickly go brush my hair. I'll bring it back in a few minutes."  
"Sure! Go ahead... I need to finish a few things here anyway. I might be in here all day." Pansy sighed. "Thanks again for the braid!"  
"No worries." Jessica grinned.

Harry, Hermione and Ron jumped when the overexcited Selwyn burst into the bathroom. She handed Hermione the hairbrush with a wide grin spread across her face.  
"I don't think that was on the list of ingredients." Harry wondered.  
"No silly, this is Pansy's hairbrush. I just finished brushing her hair... Therefore I have what I need. You take as much as you like, but hurry up, because I need to hand it back." Jessica stated.  
"Why were you brushing Pansy Parkinson's hair?" Ron asked, suspiciously.  
"Because she asked me if I still knew how to do a French braid... Then I asked if I could quickly borrow her hairbrush so I could do mine." Jessica grinned.  
"You were friends with Pansy too?" Harry asked, trying not to sound completely shocked.  
"Yes... I know all of Malfoy's friends... But I've known him, Blaise and Pansy the longest." Jessica nodded.  
Hermione, who was completely focused on the potion, grabbed the hairbrush and pulled out a few hairs. She then stored it away in a small pot.  
"The hair will be the last thing. You can take it back to her now."

Jessica quickly tied her long wavy hair into a French braid before running out of the bathroom.  
"I didn't know she could do it on herself." Hermione said suddenly, making Harry and Ron stare at her, both slightly confused.

x.x

Christmas morning finally came round. Athos and Elena had sent presents for Jessica, Josh and their friends. Like usual, Jessica got a heap load of chocolate, which she shared with the others. Mrs. Weasley had sent Fred, George, Ron and Ginny some homemade pie, which Ron munched down quickly. She also sent Harry a well-knitted purple sweater.

"I think we should get this done tonight." Hermione said, once they were the only ones left in the common room. "I've got the perfect solution for getting something for Harry and Ron." Jessica watched as the bushy haired girl pulled out three cupcakes. "One for Crabbe, one for Goyle, and the last will be for Pansy... Even though you've already got her hair, she still needs to stay away for a while."  
"What's inside it?" Ron asked, nervously.  
"A sleeping draught. Jessica will kindly hand these to them and we'll be all set." Hermione smiled.  
"What about you?" Harry asked.  
"I got Millicent Bullstrode. She practically wrestled me at the duelling club and left a few hairs on my robes. She went home for Christmas, but I'll just tell them she came back early." Hermione stated.  
"And it'll work, because Millicent tends to come back before the New Year." Jessica nodded.

The perfect opportunity came across right after Christmas dinner. Draco and Blaise headed upstairs, ahead of Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy. Jessica managed to catch the three in the hallway just as she was heading towards the Great Hall.  
"Merry Christmas." She grinned.  
"Merry Christmas, Jess." Pansy smiled. Crabbe and Goyle simply sniggered.  
"Seeing as I'm in a festive mood, I grant you three these delicious chocolate cupcakes. My aunt sent me a large box for Christmas and, quite frankly, I can only eat so much." Jessica grinned as the three snatched the cupcakes. They all knew Jessica was one to receive the most delicious chocolate and sweets.

Seconds later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were dragging them into the bathroom. Hermione ripped out Crabbe and Goyle's hairs, while the others changed into the Slytherin's clothes, and placed them in separate cups.  
"It's now or never." She sighed.  
Jessica managed to drink it down with three full gulps; she then started to feel sick. It was like her entire body had been set on fire. She groaned and leaned against the sink. She stared into the mirror and watched as she gradually turned into Pansy Parkinson. She flattened her now super straight and short hair, and neatly fixed her tie.  
"Is everyone ok?" She asked. It was extremely strange hearing Pansy's high pitched voice coming out of her mouth.  
"I... I don't think I can go!" Hermione, or rather Millicent, called out.  
"Hermione, are you ok?" Harry asked. Hermione slowly appeared before them.  
"You're-"  
"A cat. I know." Hermione mumbled, interrupting Ron. "Just get going."

Jessica led the three downstairs, though she wasn't entirely sure where the entrance to the Slytherin common room was. As they wondered along the dark passageways, they spotted someone coming up to them.  
"What are you doing down here?" Ron, or Crabbe, called out.  
"I believe that's none of your business." Percy arrogantly stated. "However, you three shouldn't be wandering around alone in the dark. It's not safe."  
"You're out." Ron spat.  
"I am a prefect. Nothing is going to attack me."

"There you are!" A voice called out. Jessica was suddenly very thankful to see Draco Malfoy casually walking up to them. "Don't tell me you've been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time. I thought you were on a diet, Pansy."  
"Yeah... Well it's Christmas." She shrugged. Draco stared at her curiously. Jessica tried not to face palm when she remembered Pansy doesn't shrug. That was _her _thing.  
"What are you doing down here, _Weasley_?" Draco sneered.  
"You might want to show a little more respect towards me!" Percy said, outraged. "I don't like your attitude!"  
Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed Harry and Ron. Jessica followed closely behind as they walked off.

"That Peter Weasley-"  
"Percy." Ron corrected.  
"Whatever." Malfoy sniggered. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. I bet he's trying to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed." Harry, Ron and Jessica exchanged looks as Draco chuckled to himself. They finally came to a halt and Draco looked back at them. "What's the password again?"  
"Er..." Harry said, blankly.  
"Oh... Pure-blood!" Draco smirked, ignoring Goyle completely.  
The stone door, concealed in the wall, slid open. Draco marched through it, closely followed by the other three.

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was lit under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and a several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs.  
"Wait here." Draco ordered. "I want to show you something funny. My father just sent it to me."  
"Wonder what that's about." Jessica whispered as Draco disappeared from view. Harry and Ron shrugged.  
Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. He thrust it under Ron's nose.  
"That'll give you a laugh." He said.  
Ron's eyes widened in slight shock. He read the clipping quickly and gave a very forced laugh, before passing it to Harry. Jessica got up from her place, next to Draco, and hovered over Harry and Ron, trying to read what it said:

_Inquiry at the Ministry of Magic  
Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car. Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation. "Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute." Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately." Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them.  
Luckily for Mr. Weasley, Mr. Athos Selwyn, another one of Hogwarts governors, and a highly noted voice at the Ministry of Magic, managed to let the man off with this simple warning. "Arthur Weasley cannot be held responsible for the car being seen by Muggles. He used an invisibility charm just for that. It was an unfortunate accident but there was no harm done. Albus Dumbledore has efficiently dealt with the situation and there is no need to bring it up now." Mr. Selwyn commented. _

"Well? Don't you think it's funny?" Draco smirked. "Of course it would've been much funnier if Mr. Selwyn hadn't intervened. Father is always telling me that he's too nice for his own good."

Jessica quietly thought about what she'd just read. People always mentioned she was much like her father. However, he seemed like a much better person than she could ever be. Draco's constant remarks on how she'd be much better off in Slytherin were starting to get to her. Oddly enough, she didn't feel awkward being in their common room. It felt almost as comfortable as Gryffindor Tower.  
"Saint Potter, the mud-blood's friend." Malfoy said slowly, making Jessica pay attention to the conversation once again. "He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go around with that jumped up Granger. And people think he's the heir."  
The three silently waited as Draco scoffed. Harry and Ron held their breaths in anticipation.

"I wish I knew who it was. I could help them." Draco smirked. Ron's jaw dropped.  
"You must have some idea who's behind it all..." Harry wondered, trying to look as clueless as Goyle normally would.  
"You know I haven't. How many times do I have to tell you? My father won't tell me about the last time it happened either. Of course, it happened fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it! Did you manage to figure anything out, Pansy?" Draco said.  
"W-what?" Jessica asked, slightly confused.  
"Do you even pay attention when I'm talking to you? I told you to ask Selwyn if she knows anything. I heard my father talking to her mum about it once." Draco stated, raising an eyebrow. "Though, I highly doubt she'll know anything. Father said it was all kept quiet and it'd be too suspicious if I knew anything about it. All I know is the last time the chamber was opened, a mud-blood died." Draco lowered his voice. "It's only a matter of time before it happens again... Personally, I hope it's Granger."  
Ron was furiously clenching his fists. Jessica shot him a warning look, hoping to remind him that it would be very strange if Crabbe suddenly punched Malfoy. However, Jessica herself felt like ripping the blonds' hair out after his previous comment.  
"Do you know if whoever opened it last time got caught?" Harry asked.  
"Yeah... Got expelled too. Whoever it was is probably still locked up in Azkaban." Draco stated.  
"Azkaban?" Harry asked, confused.  
"Azkaban – the Wizard Prison. Really, Goyle, if you were any slower, you'd be going backwards." Draco said, rolling his eyes. "Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mud-blood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. Did you know the Ministry raided our manor last week?"  
"Really?" Jessica asked suddenly. Ron and Harry tried to look concerned.  
"Yeah... Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor-"  
"Ho!" Ron shouted suddenly.

Malfoy and Harry both stared at him. Jessica ran a hand through her hair and noticed it was starting to curl. Her eyes widened as she saw Ron's hair turning ginger.  
"Ah! We have to go! Medicine! Crabbe needs medicine!" Jessica shouted suddenly.  
Harry, Ron and Jessica dashed out of the Slytherin common room. Draco didn't seem too fazed by their sudden outburst.  
"They're acting odd. More than usual." Blaise stated as he walked up to Draco.  
"Probably ate too much." Draco smirked.  
"So... Did you send her anything this year?" Blaise wondered.  
"Why should I? We're not friends anymore." Draco mumbled, trying his very best to maintain his smirk.  
"But you want to be." Blaise stated. "Just make sure you do something before Potter wins her over for good, ok?"

* * *

**Ok... Now the next chapter will be up once I've done at least one for Naruto... OK MISS MEGAN ALLARD? :p No pressuring Madam 2Fast2Live, because... Because I said so :p kk **

**So... my lovely readers, please review so I know how you're feeling about this, ok? *-* xoxo!**


	7. Hermione Granger

**This took much longer than I expected it to! Of course, I did end up writing two Naruto chapters before doing this one ;x I promise to behave and do things accurately!  
**

**Anyway, thanks again MegAllard for reviewing \o ~ Tambem nao gosto da pansy ;x mas precisava de alguma menina e ela é a mais falada delas la :p E relaxa que o Josh nao liga pras duas - ele so conversa as vezes pra fazer uma graca ;x - because he's worth it - aquelas :p E ele aparece um pouco aqui tambem *-* Entao... divirta-se \o/**

**I must say, I miss my readers! What have you all been up to lately? D: Come baack!**

**Alright, let's get things going! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

Hermione was very disappointed once she learnt that they were back on square one. Though, she was relieved that she didn't have to worry about Draco Malfoy hunting her down in the hallways. The three had taken her to Madam Pomfrey as soon as they got back to the bathroom. Pomfrey apparently believed Hermione's cover story about experimenting with new spells. It wasn't exactly hard to believe, seeing as the entire school knew Hermione loved to learn. Jessica, Harry and Ron would go visit her every evening. When the new term started, they brought her each day's homework.  
"I half expected you to take some time off after sprouting whiskers." Ron said, dropping a pile of books onto the girl's bed.  
"Don't be silly, Ron. I've got to keep up." Hermione stated.  
"You seem much more cheerful." Jessica said, handing Hermione a packet of pumpkin pasties.  
"Well I no longer have all that cat hair on my face and my eyes are finally going back to normal. So yes, I'm much more cheerful." Hermione grinned.  
"What's that?" Harry asked, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.  
"Oh... That's just a get well card." Hermione said quickly, trying to poke it out of sight. Ron quickly pulled it out before Hermione had succeeded.

_To Miss Granger,  
wishing you a speedy recovery!  
From your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award._

"You've got to be kidding me." Jessica groaned.  
"Does he have to write all that down?" Harry wondered.  
"You sleep with this under your pillow?" Ron said, completely aggravated.  
Hermione was spared from answering when Madam Pomfrey appeared with her evening dose of medicine. The three knew it was their cue to leave. The woman was very strict with visiting hours.

"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said as they left the infirmary.  
"I just hope we get a different teacher next year. I'd die if we had to take on another year with him." Jessica groaned as she pulled herself up the stairs.  
The three suddenly stopped, hidden in the shadows, cautiously listening to Filch shouting hysterically. The caretaker had been manning his usual lookout post, where Mrs. Norris had been attacked, and was visibly furious about a great flood of water stretched over half the corridor. It looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Once Filch had stopped shouting, they managed to hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls.  
"We should go see what's wrong with her." Harry whispered.  
The three carefully made their way towards the bathroom, once Filch was completely out of sight. Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before. She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet. It was dark in the bathroom, because the candles had been extinguished in the great rush of water that had left everything soaking wet.

"What's wrong, Myrtle?" Jessica asked.  
"Who's there? Come back to throw more things at me?" She replied, miserably.  
"Why would we throw something at you?" Harry asked, visibly confused. "I mean, it's not like you'd feel it. It'd go right through you."  
Jessica face palmed as Myrtle appeared before them, shrieking loudly. Harry then realised he might've said something wrong.  
"Sure! Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if it goes through her stomach and fifty if it goes through her head! What a marvellous idea for a game!" She shouted, sarcastically.  
"Who threw it anyway?" Ron asked, curiously.  
"I don't know... I was here, sitting in my U-bend, when it fell through my head. It's over there." She sighed, pointing towards a small, thin, black book. Harry was the first to walk towards it.  
"Wait... You're not taking that with you, are you?" Ron asked, grabbing hold of Harry's arm.  
"I'm just looking." He shrugged.  
"But it could be dangerous!" Ron insisted.  
"Why would a book be dangerous?" Harry sighed.  
"Oh, you'd be surprised." Jessica smirked.  
"Dad told me about some of the books the Ministry had confiscated. There was one that burned your eyes out. And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives. And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading-"  
"I bet Hermione would enjoy that one." Jessica grinned, interrupting Ron's serious talk.  
"As I was saying..." He glared at Jessica before turning his attention back to Harry and the book, which was now in his hand. "You would wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed. And-"  
"I get the point, Ron." Harry said. "But we won't know if we don't try."

Harry began analysing the book. He soon realised it was a diary and the cover revealed it was fifty years old. He opened it eagerly. Ron and Jessica huddled around him. On the first page, he managed to make out the name 'T.M. Riddle'.  
"Riddle... There's someone on my family tree with that name." Jessica wondered.  
"I know that name! T.M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago." Ron said suddenly.  
"How on Earth do you know that?" Harry asked in amazement.  
"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention." Ron said, rolling his eyes. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it too."

Jessica sighed and grabbed the book from Harry's hands and began peeling the wet pages apart. They were completely blank. Harry and Ron now hovered over her, both hoping to discover something interesting.  
"He never wrote in it." Harry said, disappointed.  
"Why would someone want to flush it away if it had nothing in it?" Jessica wondered.  
"Maybe they took out some pages first." Ron suggested.  
"No... You'd be able to tell if pages had been ripped out in this." Jessica sighed.  
Harry turned to the back cover and saw the printed name of a variety store on Vauxhall Road, London.  
"He must've been Muggle-born." Harry said, thoughtfully. "To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road."  
"I thought you came from a pureblood family." Ron said, turning towards Jessica.  
"I do." She nodded. "Come to think of it... I remember Grandpa Louis, my mum's dad, telling me and Anna about someone betraying the family legacy and getting involved with a muggle."  
"Right... Well it's no use to us then. Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose." Ron said, quietly. Jessica smacked him across the head and Harry placed the book into his pocket.

x.x

Hermione happily skipped towards the Gryffindor common room. She was finally whisker-less and back to her normal self. Some people were surprised to see her walking around the school.  
"Granger! We all thought you'd been another victim." Fred said, as he stopped the girl in her tracks. "We're very happy to know you weren't though." George grinned.  
Hermione waited for Josh to say something also, but he still hadn't moved from his position on the wide window sill.  
"Oh, don't mind him. He's been snoring away for the past half hour." George smirked.  
"Just wait until he wakes up and sees what we've done to him." Fred grinned.  
"It'll be a laugh." They said together.  
"Right... Well I just hope you three don't get yourselves into trouble. McGonagall's already out to get you after you all _accidently _knocked her down in the hallway." Hermione stated.  
"How did you know of that, Granger?" Fred wondered.  
"I hope you haven't been stalking us." George whispered.  
"I agree." Josh said, his voice husky from lack of use. Hermione jumped slightly when she heard him. "We get that enough from Thomas."  
"Who's Thomas?" Hermione asked, curiously.  
"Melody Thomas is a girl in our year and lately she's been trying to hang around us. My guess is, she's after Fred." Josh smirked.  
"I already told you that she isn't." Fred sighed.  
"No need to be ashamed-"  
Josh suddenly got up, interrupting George, and tried to catch a glimpse of himself in the small mirror in Hermione's hands. Once she realised what he was up to, she handed him the mirror.  
"Boys... Did you seriously draw on my face?"  
Hermione politely took back her mirror and quickly got away from them before their usual brotherly arguments began. Surely enough, as soon as she reached the corner, she spotted McGonagall already making her way towards them.

Jessica, Harry and Ron happily welcomed Hermione back and wasted no time in telling her about their latest encounter with Myrtle. She seemed very intrigued by the book.  
"It's interesting... The last time the chamber was opened was fifty years ago, and this diary is fifty years old. Ron said that T.M. Riddle received an award during his time here... And a student was expelled when the chamber was opened-"  
"What are you getting at, exactly?" Ron asked, interrupting Hermione's train of thought.  
"Pay attention Ron! What if T.M. Riddle managed to find out who the Heir was and caught him?" Hermione said, eagerly.  
"That would've been brilliant, but there's nothing inside the diary." Harry sighed.  
"Well I highly doubt he would've written about it and left it for all eyes to see." Hermione frowned.  
"I'm guessing you know a spell to reveal invisible ink." Jessica smirked. Hermione nodded and tapped the book three times with her wand.  
"_Aparecium!_" She shouted. Nothing happened. She then tried to use what seemed to be a bright red eraser. "It's a revealer. I got it in Diagon Alley."  
She rubbed hard against the pages but they still ended up with nothing.  
"Let's face it, there's nothing written in it. He must've gotten a diary for Christmas and simply wasn't bothered to use it." Ron sighed.

x.x

Valentine's Day arrived and the entire school seemed to be in a _lovey dovey_ mood. There had been no other attacks after Justin Finch-Fletchley and everyone was starting to believe that whoever started this madness had given up. Jessica wasn't convinced at all, however. She was cautious around everything and everyone. Even though she wasn't muggle-born, she still wouldn't wander around the castle alone. Draco Malfoy had stopped talking to her altogether. She was finding it rather strange, but she figured it was best having him silent than annoying her at every moment. Harry was still curious to know more about T.M. Riddle, but so far he'd had no luck. Gilderoy Lockhart was his usual obnoxious self, claiming he would've caught the Heir of Slytherin in the act. Jessica ignored him completely.

Jessica sat in her usual place at the Gryffindor table. There were heart shaped confetti falling down from the ceiling and the walls had been covered in pink flowers. She spotted Josh walking past with a single red rose, neatly balanced behind his ear.  
"I actually imagined him bringing Lila a big bouquet." Hermione stated, also observing the scene.  
"Josh tends to keep things simple." Jessica nodded.  
Josh casually walked up to the Slytherin table, ignoring the glares he was receiving from Marcus Flint and his small group of friends, bent down on one knee and handed Lila Davis the rose. All eyes were on them when Lila's friend shrieked in awe.

The girls turned their attention back to each other when Ron and Harry finally sat down.  
"Where have you two been? We've been waiting for over fifteen minutes." Hermione said, arrogantly.  
"Sorry, I had Quidditch practice last night and woke up late. Still tired." Harry muttered.  
"Aw, poor baby." Jessica grinned, ruffling his hair.  
"What's all this about?" Harry wondered, picking up one of the little hearts.

Gilderoy Lockhart suddenly stood, making everyone in the room stare at him and his pink clothes.  
"Happy Valentine's Day everyone! And let me thank the forty-six people that have sent me cards already! Please, do not be shy. I shall accept cards from everyone!" He beamed.  
"Why doesn't he ever shut up?" Jessica groaned, burying her head in her arms.  
Jessica tried her very best to tune everything out, but it was proving to be very hard. It became worse when dozens of dwarfs, wearing golden wings and carrying harps, marched into the room. She did manage to ignore the man completely once he started again, only catching a few words of what he was saying.

Jessica's feelings towards Lockhart only grew more intense during the day. Not only had she sat through a double lesson, in which Lockhart insisted on telling them various tales about his adventures _again_, but one of the Valentines Dwarf's had picked that very moment to hand her a Valentine's Day card. Lockhart was practically shrieking. He kept begging for her to open in and read it to the entire class. Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean couldn't help but tease. The Slytherin's in the room were all sniggering. Hermione was the only one that wasn't fussing over it, and was constantly telling Ron to be quiet. The youngest Selwyn was relieved when the bell rang, but she focused so much on organising her books and parchment, that she forgot to keep watch on the card. And Ron was quick.

_I'm truly yours._

"That's it? No name or-"  
"Give that back! I didn't even open it yet!" Jessica said, angrily.  
"Well you're not missing out on much." Ron muttered, handing the card back.

It was a small light pink card, shaped into a heart. The words were neatly handwritten in black ink. Jessica couldn't help but feel curious. She wanted to know who would send it to her, but she didn't want to make a big deal about it. She carefully placed it into her pocket.  
"You're keeping it?" Ron asked, slightly shocked.  
"Well it's mine, isn't it?" Jessica rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah... But I didn't think you'd keep it!"

x.x

Jessica was quietly doing her Charms homework in the silent and empty common room, when Harry, Ron and Hermione came running downstairs.  
"It was Hagrid." Harry whispered.  
"You might want to elaborate." Jessica stated, looking very confused.  
"He opened the chamber fifty years ago. I saw when Tom Riddle caught him!"  
"Wait... What?" Jessica stared at him and wondered if he'd hit his head against wall.  
"Maybe Riddle has the wrong person." Hermione said, suddenly. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people."  
"I'm still not following." Jessica sighed and scratched her forehead.  
"How many monsters can this place hold?" Ron asked dully. "Oh and apparently the monster is a big spider."  
"Well that makes no sense." Jessica snorted.  
"Why not?" Harry asked.  
"Because... You said you could hear it remember? People who speak parseltongue can hear snakes, not spiders." Jessica shrugged. "However, you _might _be right about Hagrid opening the chamber. He's not the heir though... But I doubt you actually have to be the heir to open it."  
"Hagrid wouldn't do that, though. Would he?" Hermione wondered.  
"I'd like to think that he wouldn't... But he was expelled from Hogwarts and forbidden to use magic. So, who knows?" Harry sighed.  
"Lucius Malfoy knows, apparently." Jessica mumbled.

The conversation dragged on towards the following day. Jessica found herself focusing more on the long discussion between Ron and Harry, rather than paying attention to what Professor Sprout was talking about. She'd managed to learn that the mandrakes were just about ready for brewing, but other than that, she had learnt nothing new. The four ate lunch quickly and headed outside for some fresh air.  
"What if we just asked Hagrid about it?" Hermione asked suddenly. The other three rolled their eyes, simultaneously.  
"Well that should be a cheerful visit – Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose around the castle lately?" Ron mocked.

The four children almost had a heart attack when they heard Hagrid's voice behind them.  
"Mad and hairy? Hope yer ain't talkin' bout me now!" He chuckled.  
"No!" They all said in unison.  
There was a very awkward moment of silence, in which Hagrid almost felt as though they were up to something.  
"W-what's that you got, Hagrid?" Harry asked.  
"Flesh eatin' slug repellent. Fer the madrakes yer know? Once their acne's cleared up, we can chop 'em up and stew 'em and get everyone un-petrified." He said. The four children nodded, nervously. "Until then, the four of yer best be lookin' after yerselves. Alright?" The four nodded once again and Hagrid walked off. They sighed deeply.  
Neville Longbottom suddenly came running towards them, desperately.  
"You've got to come see this! I don't know who did it... But come!"

They ran back up to Gryffindor Tower and into the room Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean shared. The place was completely trashed. Pillows and blankets were all over the place, papers had been ripped, curtains torn, a few feathers were found on the ground... It looked horrendous.  
"Good luck cleaning this up." Jessica muttered.  
"It had to be a Gryffindor! No one else would know our password." Hermione said.  
"Unless it wasn't a student." Jessica wondered.  
"Whoever it was must've been looking for something." Ron frowned.  
"And they found it." Harry said nervously. "Tom Riddle's diary is gone."

x.x

Another Quidditch game was heading their way and Harry was nervous as usual. Oliver Wood was in a very happy mood because the weather was in perfect condition for a game. The twins were begging a very sleepy Josh to do the commentary again, instead of leaving it to the Hufflepuff students. Jessica, Hermione, Harry and Ron ate their breakfast quietly. Harry would constantly look around the other students, wondering if the person who took the diary was among them. Hermione had insisted he reported the robbery but Ron and Jessica told him it wouldn't be the best of ideas. He'd have to explain everything about the diary and they couldn't be sure of how many people knew about Hagrid being expelled.

Once they'd finished eating, they all followed Harry back up to Gryffindor Tower so he could gather his Quidditch gear. They had just set foot on the marble staircase when both Harry and Jessica froze suddenly.

_Kill... Let me rip... Tear... Kill..._

"The voice!" Harry shouted suddenly, startling the others behind him. "I heard it again! Are you sure you can't hear it?"  
"We're sure." Ron said, eyes wide.  
"Oh my God!" Hermione shrieked.  
"What? You heard it this time?" Jessica stared at her curiously.  
"No... But I think I've just realised something! I have to go to the library! You three go ahead. I'll meet you later."  
"What was that about?" Harry wondered, watching the bushy haired girl disappear from view.  
"No idea." Jessica shrugged.  
"Why would she go the library though?" Harry asked.  
"Well its Hermione, isn't it?" Ron smirked. "When in doubt, go to the library!"  
"Yes well, let's get a move on. It's almost eleven and you don't want to be late for your match." Jessica scolded, pushing Harry up the stairs.

Jessica and Ron happily found their way towards the stands. Jessica clutched onto her stuffed lion and nudged her older brother happily.  
"What's wrong with you? You love Quidditch!" She beamed.  
"I've got a sore throat and I feel like I'm dying." He groaned.  
"You should go see Madam Pomfrey then." Ron suggested.  
"I hate the medical wing and Madam Pomfrey never has tasty medicine."  
"Don't be such a baby, Josh." Jessica sang, swinging Roary in his face. "I'm taking you there after the game."  
Joshua rolled his eyes and focused on the field. He furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Professor McGonagall heading towards the field and having a word with Oliver Wood and the Hufflepuff captain. She then pulled out a megaphone and turned away from the teams.  
"This match has been cancelled!"

Jessica and Ron exchanged looks before running down to the field, Josh following closely behind. Oliver Wood was visibly outraged by McGonagall's announcement. Harry made his way towards his two friends when he saw them.  
"Why did she cancel it?" Ron asked, in complete shock.  
"No idea... All I know is that Wood won't go down without a fight." Harry sighed.  
"It's no use!" Fred called out, running towards them.  
"Two full days of practice completely wasted." George frowned.  
"She might actually have a good reason." Josh shrugged.

"All students head back to their dormitories immediately. Heads and Prefects shall give out further information once there. Quickly!" She bellowed.  
The teams, Jessica, Ron and Josh were still on the field, all silently hoping McGonagall would personally explain everything. They tensed when her eyes met Harry's. She walked towards them, the stern look never leaving her face.  
"I am sorry to have to cancel this game, but there's nothing I can do. You are all to head-" She was interrupted by Josh's loud sneeze and groan. She eyed him curiously. "Potter, Weasley and Selwyn's... Please follow me."  
"Us too?" Fred and George asked.  
"No."

Professor McGonagall led the four up the marble staircase and towards the medical wing. She made sure Josh was close by at all times, in case he planned on drifting apart. He was always one to be trouble when he got sick, but McGonagall was used to this by now. She quite enjoyed his childish moments. She grabbed hold of his arm once they finally met Madam Pomfrey.  
"I think he's got the flu." McGonagall sighed.  
"I don't." Josh frowned.  
"I'll take a look! She's over there by the way." Pomfrey said, nervously.  
McGonagall finally turned her attention to the remaining three children and sighed.  
"There's been another double attack..."

Jessica managed to catch a glimpse of blonde curly hair. It was Penelope Clearwater. Jessica remembered Anna helping her in Diagon Alley one time. Her heart began racing when McGonagall made her way towards the other victim. Jessica suddenly remembered the one person that wasn't among them that very moment. It couldn't be...  
"Hermione!" Ron cried.  
"She was found near the library. I don't suppose any of you can explain this... It was found near them." McGonagall held up a small mirror.  
"She sometimes carries it along with her." Jessica shrugged.  
"Right... Well I shall escort you back to the common room. Joshua! Let's go!" As soon as McGonagall called out, the blond Selwyn was gladly running away from Madam Pomfrey.  
"Is she going to be okay?" Jessica asked worriedly.  
"There's nothing to worry about... They'll all be fine." McGonagall said. Jessica could hear the nervousness and fear in her voice. This couldn't go on. They had to find the Heir before he, or she, actually killed someone.

Jessica didn't listen to anything McGonagall said once they'd reached the common room. The entire house was in complete shock to learn about the double attack. Percy Weasley couldn't believe whoever had done this, had the guts to attack a Prefect. Harry and Ron were both fidgeting nervously and wondering what their next move could be. But Jessica could only think about how stupid and careless they had been. How could they have let Hermione wander alone to the library right after she and Harry had clearly heard the voice? She felt like the worst best friend ever.

The common room soon cleared and the only ones left were Jessica, Harry and Ron. Harry was pacing around the room, hoping a resolution would simply fall from the sky.  
"We can't sit here and do nothing." Ron sighed.  
"I think it's time we talked to Hagrid." Harry said, urgently.  
"Or maybe we should just wait for the mandrakes to be ready and let the teachers deal with this." Jessica mumbled. Tears were clearly falling and she didn't seem to care that they'd both noticed.  
"Look... I can obviously hear whatever the monster is. Seeing as no one else can, it's got to mean something." Harry knelt in front of Jessica and placed his hand on top of hers. "We're all angry, upset and quite scared about what happened to Hermione but we can't stay put."  
"Just one problem though... McGonagall told us to stay here." Ron said.  
"Do you two really think we can do this?" Jessica asked, worriedly.  
"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "But we have to try."  
Jessica nodded slowly and wiped her eyes. Harry gave her a small smile before turning to face the fireplace. They had to talk to Hagrid and it had to be soon. They simply couldn't wait because this had to be solved before the end of the school year. He suddenly turned towards Jessica and Ron, grinning happily.  
"I think it's time we got my dad's cloak out."

x.x

Fitting three people under the invisibility cloak proved to be easier said than done. However, they were quite lucky that both Jessica and Harry were reasonably small for their age. Ron did mumble about having to crouch down slightly so their feet wouldn't be visible. They easily made their way out of the castle, narrowly avoiding being caught by Snape. It was quite hard getting down the hill and to Hagrid's... Jessica almost fell over at least six times. But once they finally reached the door, Harry cautiously knocked on it. They ended up finding themselves face to face with a crossbow.  
"What's that for?" Jessica whispered, pulling the cloak off them in the process.  
"Oh... What're the three of yer doin' down 'ere at this time o' night?" Hagrid asked, trying his very best to maintain calm.  
"We need to talk to you... Can we come in?" Harry asked, hopefully.  
"Course yer can!"

They noticed Hagrid was acting completely strange. He barely knew his way around his own house. Hagrid had offered them tea but nearly extinguished the fire by spilling water everywhere.  
"Are you okay, Hagrid? Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked.  
"I heard 'bout that alright..." His quiet voice faded into nothing as he spoke.  
Hagrid poured the three large mugs of boiling water. Jessica wondered if he'd noticed that he'd completely forgotten about the tea bags. Hagrid was just about to hand Ron a large piece of fruitcake when he heard a knock at his door. Dropping the cake nervously, he urged the three to hide. Harry swiftly pulled Ron and Jessica towards him and wrapped them under his cloak. Hagrid seized the crossbow and flung the door open.  
"Good evening Hagrid."

It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man. The stranger had rumpled grey hair and an anxious expression planted on his face.  
"That's my dad's boss, Cornelius Fudge!" Ron whispered.  
"The Minister of Magic!" He and Jessica whispered in unison, eyes wide, leaving Harry to stare at them confused.  
Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Fudge.  
"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on muggle-borns! Things have gone far enough! The Ministry's got to act!" Fudge was almost shouting, only making Hagrid feel even worse.  
"I never..." Hagrid looked imploringly at Dumbledore. "Yer know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir-"  
"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore stated, frowning at Fudge.  
"Listen, Albus, Hagrid's record is against him. The Ministry has got to do something... The school governors have been in touch-"  
"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest!" Dumbledore insisted.  
"Look at it from my point of view." Fudge sighed, fidgeting with a bowler he carried under his arm. "I'm under a lot of pressure. I've got to be seen doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him."  
"Take me?" Hagrid said, trembling. "Take me where?"  
"It'll be for a short time only, Hagrid. It's not a punishment, it's a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology-"  
"Not Azkaban? Please not Azkaban!" Hagrid cried.

Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud knock on the door. Dumbledore answered it, without a crossbow. Jessica slightly nudged Harry in the ribs when he let out a gasp. Mr. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, dressed in a long black travelling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl.  
"Already here, Fudge... Good, good."  
"What're yer doin' 'ere?" Hagrid bellowed, furiously. "Get outta my house!"  
"My dear man, you call this a house?" Lucius sneered as he looked around the small cabin. "I was told the headmaster was here."  
"What exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" Dumbledore wondered. He spoke politely, but fire was blazing in his blue eyes.  
"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore, but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no muggle-born's left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be."  
Jessica clenched her fists, earning amused looks from both Harry and Ron. She could hear the sarcasm in Lucius Malfoy's voice. She also was aware that her father happened to be one of the governors. He wouldn't dream of taking Dumbledore from his spot as headmaster. At that point Jessica tuned out the argument going on before her very eyes. She obviously noticed, however, that Hagrid was in fact being taken away and apparently Dumbledore was stepping down. This couldn't be happening. Whoever was attacking the muggle-born's would throw a party and kill everyone in sight if Dumbledore was gone.

"Well... If anybody was lookin' fer some stuff, then all they'd 'ave ter do would be ter follow the spiders."  
It was the last thing Hagrid said before leaving his house with Cornelius Fudge. Harry removed the cloak from them once everyone was out of sight.  
"Follow the spiders? He's gone mental." Ron groaned.  
At that very moment, Harry spotted a series of small spiders crawling out Hagrid's window. He walked towards them and stared for a while.  
"That might actually be the scariest thing I've ever seen." Jessica whined.  
"Come on." Harry ordered.

x.x

Once again, they found themselves in the Forbidden Forest. Jessica hoped it wouldn't become an annual thing. She could only imagine the amount of trouble they'd be in if anyone found out. She then mentally laughed for acting just like Hermione would. Perhaps sharing a room was having an effect on her. The size and amount of spiders gradually grew as they got deeper into the forest. Ron was visibly shaking in fright. Jessica wasn't much of a difference, except she actually managed to keep quiet instead of whimpering. Jessica almost jumped into Harry's arms when there was a loud cracking noise, followed by a deep whisper.

"Who is it?" It called out. "Hagrid... Is that you?"  
"We're friends with Hagrid!" Harry said quickly.  
Jessica squealed just as loudly as Ron did when an overly large spider appeared before them. The two clinged onto each other while Harry dared to step a little closer.  
"You're Aragog, aren't you?" Harry asked.  
"Yes. Hagrid has never sent people into our hollow before." Aragon said, his deep voice echoing through the trees.  
"He's in trouble. There have been attacks back at the school. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets... Like before." Harry said.  
"That's a lie! Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets!" Aragon said, angrily.  
"So you're definitely not the monster?" Harry asked, curiously.  
"No... The monster was born inside the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveller."  
"What killed the girl, fifty years ago?" Harry wondered. Ron and Jessica were almost panicking once they realised the spiders creeping around them.  
"We do not speak of it! It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."  
"But have you seen it?" Harry insisted, noticing his two friends were eager to leave.  
"I never saw any part of the castle, only the books in which Hagrid kept me." Jessica figured the spider would've frowned if he could. "The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."  
"Harry!" Ron and Jessica whimpered.  
"What?" He asked, turning towards them and giving them an annoyed look. They pointed upwards, where various spiders were swirling down. "Well... Thank you. We should get going!"  
"I think not. My sons and daughters will not harm Hagrid, but I cannot deny them fresh meat when in wanders into our home so willingly."

The spiders quickly surrounded them and they found themselves feeling extremely useless without Hermione by their side. Jessica was about to fully panic and start screaming when a pair of bright lights caught her eye.  
"It's the car!" Ron shouted, eagerly.  
They wasted no time in getting in. Jessica slightly frowned about having to share the back seat with Fang. She soon discovered why Harry and Ron had gotten into trouble at the beginning of the year – Ron was a terrible driver!

They safely made it back on school grounds, though the car disappeared once again.  
"Follow the spiders?" Ron bellowed. "Next time I see Hagrid, I'm going to kill him!"  
"Count me in." Jessica muttered.  
"And what have we learnt with that little experience of ours?" Ron asked, still huffing and puffing in anger.  
"To never listen to Hagrid's advice?" Jessica half smiled.  
"We know one thing..." Harry sighed. "Hagrid never opened the chamber."

* * *

**I just have to say that I love Ron and Jessica freaking out about the spiders *o* So much for being fearless eh Jess?**

**Okies, I have no idea when I'll start writing the next one, but it won't take too long (I hope), and the next one is the big one - dum dum duuum - Basilisks are coming to town \o/.**

**Until next time! Xoxo!**


	8. The Basilisk

**Helloooooooooooooooo! I'm here! I'm back! I actually managed to recover my files and everything (thank goodness). However, I will be taking much much longer to update now, because I'm sharing one laptop with three other, highly addicted to internet, people. :( But I'm definitely continuing with this series! I would never dare to stop!**

**Thank you for your patience and as for reviews ~ usuihentai727 - (I'm glad you liked chapter 7 \o and I would never discontinue this story! I'm dying to write more and more about the Selwyn's :p); Poseidon'sdaugther3 - (omg, you're are too hyper for me to even start thinking of a reply. but I'm glad you're excited to get to fifth year, because I am too! So many things will happen in fifth year - I can see my readers trying to kill me already - and I just cannot wait to get there! But third year will be good too, and it's coming up veeery soon! *-*); MeganAllard - (so quero te avisar que a parte do Josh eu escrevi tipo.. Agora. Nao era pra ter Josh nesse capitulo mas ai lembrei - essa criatura precisa de Josh, se nao é capaz de se revoltar e nao ler o capitlo -n - PIAHSPIAHSIPAS entao sinta-se muito importante!)**

**Right, this is the second-to-last chapter of Second year... So lets make the most of it! I really hope you enjoy it! ^^**

* * *

**The Basilisk**

Jessica rushed down to the Great Hall as if her life depended on it. She'd managed to barge into countless people along the way and was certain Percy Weasley had threatened her with detention at some point. She didn't care. The only thing that mattered now was her finding Harry and Ron. Surely enough, the two boys were stuffing their faces at breakfast.  
"You could've waited for me!" Jessica huffed, dropping her body onto her seat with a thump.  
"You take ages to get ready in the morning and I was hungry." Ron mumbled.  
"Well I've got something important to tell you, so I suggest you hurry up with that bowl of cereal and meet me outside the bathroom." Harry was about to tell her to eat her breakfast first, but by the time he got a chance to turn his head around, she'd already left. He sighed and quickly gulped down his milk.  
"Come on, Ron. I get the feeling this is important."

Jessica impatiently paced outside the bathroom. This was the only safe place for her to tell them what she'd been thinking about and also where they'd possibly get their necessary answers.  
"Is little miss Selwyn thinking about skipping class this morning?" Came a snotty voice from the other side of the hall. Jessica rolled her eyes.  
"It's really none of your business."  
"Father told me your house is next on the list for being raided. I didn't know your family had secrets." Draco smirked.  
"Everyone has secrets, Malfoy." Jessica sighed.  
"I guess I can agree with you on that... The two of us have one." The smirk still hadn't faded from his face and it was starting to annoy Jessica.  
"Is that so?" She quirked an eyebrow.  
"I've been told it might take you some time to realise... So I'll leave you to think about it."

Jessica spun round as the blond walked off. She wanted to call out to him and ask what he'd meant, but her eyes quickly met Harry's and Ron's and she noted that she had to get back to business.  
"Why exactly are we meeting here?" Ron whined.  
"You both remember what Aragog said about the girl, right?" Jessica grinned. Harry and Ron exchanged looks.  
"He mentioned something about her being discovered in a bathroom." Harry said, his eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion.  
"Exactly." Jessica grinned even wider. "What if she never left?"  
"You don't mean..." Ron allowed his voice to fade into nothing as realisation dawned him.  
"Let's get to class and we'll deal with Myrtle later." Harry suggested.

x.x

Half way into Transfiguration, McGonagall announced their exams would be starting the following week. Groans were heard loud and clear throughout the classroom, earning a stern glare from the Professor. Jessica had half expected the exams to be cancelled, given the state of things, however, she'd learnt from Hermione to be prepared for anything at this school. Harry and Ron both looked slightly worried. Jessica made a mental note to help them out as much as she could.

During lunch, McGonagall cheerfully announced to the entire school that Dumbledore would be returning and the Mandrakes were just about ready to be brewed. Jess almost danced on the table out of pure joy. The entire school erupted in cheers and loud chattering about the Heir being caught.  
"This is great! Now we don't have to investigate things with Myrtle!" Ron grinned.  
A very shaky and pale Ginny Weasley stumbled towards the three and sat down next to her brother. She cautiously looked up and attempted to speak. Jessica eyed her curiously as the younger girl opened and closed her mouth. She looked like a fish.  
"Well spit it out." Ron huffed.  
"I... I have something important to tell you." She said quietly, fidgeting with her fingers.  
"What? Just tell us already!" Ron said, visibly annoyed. Jess rolled her eyes at his impatience.  
"Is this about the Chamber? Have you seen anything odd?" Harry asked, leaning in closely so no one else could hear their conversation.  
"Ginny, if you're done eating, would you mind letting me sit there? I'm starving!" Percy exclaimed, stopping right behind her. The youngest Weasley rapidly escaped.  
"Nice one." Jessica mumbled.  
"What did you do that for? She was about to tell us something important!" Ron whined, hitting his brother on the arm.  
"Oh... That's nothing." Percy said, nervously.  
"How would you know?" Ron muttered.  
"Ginny saw me and... Well it doesn't matter. She caught me doing something but she promised she wouldn't talk about it. I actually expected her to keep her word." Percy sighed. Jessica raised an eyebrow and smirked.

x.x

Jessica insisted they went to see Hermione after dinner, despite the rules about them having to stay in their dormitories. Although she soon would be back to her normal self, she just felt the need to go visit her friend. After slight begging, the two boys agreed to go visit Hermione. They were slightly caught by McGonagall in the hallway but she granted them permission to continue on. It was quite unbelievable but the Professor seemed to understand their feelings. Madam Pomfrey wasn't too pleased about having three students in her wing. She'd told them that it was useless to talk to a petrified person at least five times but Jessica insisted. Eventually the woman sighed and allowed them to stay for a while.

"I wonder if she saw it." Ron said, sadly looking at Hermione's rigid face. "I mean, if the monster sneaked up on them, it might be hard to find it."  
Jessica furrowed her eyebrows and nudged Harry on the knee. He looked to where she was staring and soon saw a scrunched up piece of paper in Hermione's hand. Jessica looked up to make sure Pomfrey wasn't near whilst Harry carefully pulled out the paper.  
"What does it say?" Ron asked, edging closer to them.  
"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents." Jessica read quietly, pausing slightly to think about what she'd just read. "This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."  
The three silently absorbed what they'd just learnt and slowly things began to click in their minds.  
"That's why I can hear it then... It's a snake." Harry whispered.  
"It makes no sense though... Surely something that big would've been spotted by now." Ron wondered.  
"Pipes." Harry said, tilting his head to the side as he read the scribbled word on the scrunched paper.  
"It's been using the plumbing?" Ron asked dumbfounded. "How come no one's died though? It says right there..." Ron pointed to a certain part of the text.  
"Because no one looked it in the eye. No directly at least." Harry said.  
"Collin saw it through his camera..." Jessica said faintly, catching Harry's train of thought. "Justin must've seen it through Sir Nicholas."  
"Nick got the full blast of it then, but he couldn't die again." Harry added.  
"Hermione and the other girl must've seen it through the mirror. Knowing Hermione, she would've warned the girl to keep a look out." Jessica grinned down at her friend.  
"What about Mrs. Norris? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a ghost or a mirror." Ron asked, almost eagerly.  
Harry tried to focus his brain back on that day but Jessica beat him to it.  
"Water!" She said, slightly louder than she had initially intended to. Madam Pomfrey looked up slightly startled. Jessica sheepishly smiled and mouthed an apology.  
"That's right... Moaning Myrtle flooded her bathroom that day. Mrs. Norris must've only seen its reflection." Harry nodded.  
"I think we need to go see Myrtle after all." Ron sighed.

Surprisingly, the corridors were completely deserted. Their journey to the bathrooms had been an easy one. Myrtle was floating around, whimpering every now and then. She stopped suddenly when she saw the three entering the bathroom.  
"Hello Harry." She sang. Ron and Jess smirked in response.  
"Myrtle... We need to ask you something." Harry said, cautiously. "If you don't mind answering, of course."  
"What is it you need?" Myrtle said, floating closer to them.  
"How... How did you die?"  
Myrtle slowly floated back to her toilet and looked down. After a few long seconds her head shot back up.  
"It happened in here... In this very cubicle." She said, slightly angered. "I was crying... I heard someone come in and they said something funny. It was like a made up language. I realised it was a boy speaking, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and... I died."  
"Just like that? Didn't you see anything strange?" Jessica asked, curiously.  
"I just remember seeing a pair of big yellow eyes, over there... By that sink." Myrtle murmured.  
The three huddled around the sink Myrtle had pointed out. On the tap was a beautifully carved snake. Ron shuddered slightly.  
"We've found it." Harry whispered.  
"We should go tell McGonagall." Jessica said quickly, before the two got any ideas about going into the Chamber alone.

They were on their way to McGonagall's office when they heard it, loud and clear: _Any student out of bed is to return to their dormitories immediately and stay there. All teachers to the second floor corridor at once._

McGonagall's voice echoed through the hall and the three practically panicked. Could it be that the Heir had attacked once again? Without needing to exchange words, the three hurried towards the second floor corridor. They hid in the corner as the teachers gathered round. They couldn't see much but the voices were clear.  
"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message." McGonagall spoke up. "Our greatest fear has been realised. A student has been taken into the chamber."  
The three exchanged worried looks before turning their attention back to the group of teachers.  
"The students must be sent home... This is the end of Hogwarts." McGonagall was practically in tears.  
"Who was it Minerva? Which student has been taken?" Madam Pomfrey asked, placing a hand on McGonagall's shoulder.  
"It was... Ginny Weasley."

Jessica instantly whipped around to face Ron, her hair hitting his face with the sudden movement. Every bit of colour from his face had faded. Jessica anxiously rubbed his arms and tried her best to whisper calming words to him, but he was still in shock. She could hear Lockhart boasting about being capable of retrieving Ginny from the chamber, and for once, Jessica actually believed he'd succeed. She'd definitely stop calling him a fraud if he managed it. Once all the teachers had cleared out, Harry approached the message. Ron immediately got out of his trance and followed.  
"Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever." Ron read, whimpering slightly. "Ginny..."  
"We'll get her back. You heard Lockhart saying he was going after her... We'll go find him and help." Jessica said.  
"You... Working alongside Lockhart? War will break out." Ron said, trying to find a little bit of humour in the situation, but failing miserably.  
"We'll get her back." Harry said with pure determination in his voice. "Let's go. Lockhart might not know where the entrance is."

x.x

Jessica wasn't sure if it was anxiety or fear, but she suddenly found herself barging into Lockhart's office, not caring about the noise she'd made. Harry and Ron managed to catch up with her, breathing heavily. The youngest Selwyn soon felt the urge to pounce on the panicked teacher.  
"Going somewhere?" Harry wondered.  
"I... Yes... I've had an urgent call and I best be going. You should all be in your rooms, you know?" Lockhart replied, laughing nervously.  
"We figured even your bright mind didn't know where the entrance to the chamber was." Jessica smirked.  
"Yes well... Not to worry. You three should just hurry along." Lockhart said, pushing them out of the door.  
"You're running away, aren't you? I knew it! You're nothing but a big fraud!" Jessica practically shouted as she tried to push herself back into the man's office.  
"Running away?" Ron gaped. "What about my sister? You can't just leave her!"  
"Yes well, that was most unfortunate-"  
"You're the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't leave when things like this happen. You're supposed to stay and help. What about all those things in your books?" Harry questioned angrily.  
"B-books can be misleading." Lockhart stuttered.  
"You wrote them!" Harry said. He couldn't believe his ears.  
"My dear boy, my books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all-"  
"So you're a fraud _and _you're shallow. I'm actually not surprised." Jessica rolled her eyes and shrugged slightly.  
"You've _actually _been taking credit for what loads of other people have done?" Harry said, incredulously.  
"It's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved." Lockhart protested.  
"Please, do entertain us with your wisdom." Jessica huffed sarcastically. Ron simply stared at the man in complete disbelief. He was still rather pale.  
"I had to track these people down, ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did, and then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms."  
"You're pathetic." Ron mumbled.

Lockhart chuckled slightly and finished the rest of his packing. Harry held onto Jessica's arm so she wouldn't hurt the teacher. No matter how much the man deserved it, he was still their teacher. Lockhart eventually turned towards the three students with his wand in hand.  
"Well, I believe I'm finished here... Oh wait, one more thing left. Terribly sorry about this, you three really would have grown to be great wizards. But I can't allow you to roam around now that you know everything."  
Jessica's eyes widened slightly. She was pretty sure her father would have Lockhart's head if he ever knew about his baby girl being threatened. She braced herself to lose everything when Harry quickly pulled out his wand and aimed at the man: _Expelliarmus! _  
Lockhart's wand flew out of his hand and into the air. Ron expertly caught it and broke it in half. He angrily looked up at Lockhart after, silently letting the man know that he wasn't in a very good mood.  
"What do you three want from me? I... I don't know where the chamber is! I have no idea what's hidden inside it!" Lockhart whimpered.  
"You're in luck. We happen to be three great wizards who know the answer to both those problems." Harry stated, grabbing one of Lockhart's arms and ushering him out.  
"Not so tough now, are you?" Jessica smirked as they headed towards the bathroom.

x.x

Jessica understood perfectly when Harry ordered the Chamber to reveal itself. She mentally braced herself for whatever could happen next. There was a giant serpent waiting for them, after all. Lockhart had tried to flee but Ron eagerly pushed him into the chamber first, claiming they needed to make sure it was a safe fall. After a short yell and a thud, the three cautiously peered into the dark hole.  
"It's rather filthy down here." Lockhart's voice echoed.  
"Right then, ladies first." Ron said, nervously.  
"Charming, Ronald." Jessica rolled her eyes.  
Harry sighed and grabbed both their hands. They exchanged one quick glance before they jumped down. It was like a long slimy slide, much to Jessica's displeasure. She silently regretted not wearing her jumper, at least that way her white shirt would've been saved from all that dirt. She was also grateful to have been wearing tights. Knickers showing in this situation wouldn't have been pleasant at all.  
"Spooky." Ron muttered, once they hit the ground.  
"_Lumos!_ Let's go... Remember, any sign of movement, close your eyes right away." Harry ordered, taking the lead.

They had found numerous rat skulls on their way and they silently tried not to think about how Ginny would be like. They heard a strange loud noise and stopped immediately. Harry bravely held his wand high and managed to catch a glimpse of something large and apparently slimy.  
"Blimey, that thing's huge." Ron breathed out.  
Jessica was about to come up with something random and that would possibly involve feeding Lockhart to the Basilisk when she heard a groan and a thud. Lockhart had tackled Ron to the ground and wrestled him for his wand.  
"Get off me!" Ron huffed, kneeing the man in the stomach.  
Lockhart chuckled as he stood up. Ron's wand in hand.

"The adventure ends here. All will know how I attempted to save the poor girl's life and how you three lost it at the sight of her mangled body. Say goodbye to your memories... _Obliviate!_"  
Ron's messed up wand backfired and Lockhart was sent crashing into the wall behind him. Next thing they knew, part of the ceiling tumbled down. Harry grabbed Jessica and pulled her towards him, whilst Ron used Lockhart's body as a shield. They ended up being separated from each other, which possibly made Jessica much more nervous that she initially was.  
"What now?" She whispered, heart beating fast.  
"Ron! Are you okay?" Harry shouted.  
"I'm fine! This git isn't though... He hasn't got a clue who he is!" Ron shouted back.  
"Well that's entertaining." Jessica laughed slightly.  
"Listen, we can't stay here because getting these rocks aside will take forever. The two of us will continue on and you find a way to get us back." Harry called out, making Jessica stare at him with eyes wide.  
"Alright! Just hurry up and be careful!"

x.x

The Gryffindor common room was pure chaos. McGonagall had decided it would be best to let the Weasley parents know before telling the children, but Arthur Weasley had practically begged her to report to them. Dumbledore managed to return to the castle earlier than intended and the two Professors found themselves breaking the bad news to all the Gryffindor's. It didn't take long for McGonagall to notice that three young faces were missing from the crowd. She'd noticed Joshua anxiously looking around also. She had a very bad feeling about this.  
"Professor, please allow us to help. Ginny is my little sister and I want to be a part of this." Percy insisted.  
Everyone turned to him in slight shock. They all expected him to be the one to keep everyone at bay. Obviously they had been wrong. McGonagall sighed deeply. This was definitely going to be much harder than she anticipated.  
"I can assure you that Ginny will be found. The teachers are frantically searching for the entrance." Dumbledore said.  
"You've searched the school before and found nothing." Josh spoke up, earning a few sighs from the younger girls. "Professor, I'm pretty sure you've noticed _they're _not here. They've gone after Ginny. They know where the entrance is and..."  
Both Professors' frowned when the boy's voice faded. Inside he knew his sister could deal with whatever monster was deep inside the chamber, but he still feared for her. He wanted to be a part of this. Those three were too young to be dealing with so many things at once.  
"I have already made preparations for them, Mr. Selwyn." Dumbledore said eventually, before exiting the common room.  
"No one is to leave this room." McGonagall stated, before following Dumbledore out.

Josh wasn't about to take that as an order and picked himself up. Percy didn't bother to try to stop him.  
"Professor, please let me-"  
"If I recall correctly, the name 'Selwyn' descends directly from Salazar Slytherin himself." Dumbledore smiled slightly.  
"Yes, sir. It does." Josh said, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"I also believe your sister has quite a few hidden talents that would make great Slytherin proud. I have sent them the backup they need. This is something they must deal with for now, but they are fully capable of doing so."  
Josh let out a frustrated sigh before heading back into the common room. He silently wondered if it was going to be like this every year. His sister definitely knew how to pick her friends.

x.x

They eventually reached the end of the tunnel and came face to face with a well locked door. On each side was a serpent carving; however their eyes looked very much alive. Harry ordered the door to open in parsletongue and it did. They quickly made their way through and finally found themselves inside the Chamber of Secrets.  
"It's almost unbelievable." Jessica whispered, taking it all in.  
They walked around for a while, making sure they stayed close to each other. Both had their wands in hand. Harry soon spotted something on the floor and quickly made his way to it. He dropped onto his knees and checked to see if Ginny still had a pulse. Jessica stood guard right behind them, silently hoping the Basilisk wouldn't make a sudden appearance. She noticed Harry had stupidly pushed his wand aside and almost walked over to it.

"She won't wake." The voice startled both of them and Harry was quickly on his feet.  
"Tom... Tom Riddle?" Harry questioned. The boy, who looked to be around sixteen or seventeen, nodded. "What do you mean she won't wake? She's not-"  
"She's alive, only just." Tom said, in an almost soothing voice.  
"Are you a ghost?" Harry asked.  
"A memory. Preserved in a diary for fifty years."  
"Listen Tom, you've got to help us. We need to get her out of here... There's a Basilisk and... Have you seen my-" Harry stopped and noticed Tom twirling Harry's wand in his fingers. Jessica raised her wand cautiously, not really understand what was going on. "Thanks, I might need my wand back now."  
"Look this is all very nice but we really should get out of here before that giant creature sniffs us out." Jessica said, irritably.  
"It won't come until it's called." Tom said, a small smile forming in the corner of his lips.  
"Only the Heir can control it." Jessica stated, knowledgably. "Now please give him back his wand so we can get going?"  
"He won't be needing it." Tom smirked.  
"What do you mean I won't be-"  
"I've been waiting for a long time to talk to you, Harry Potter." Tom said, slowly walking closer to them.  
"Now's really not a good time for this." Harry said, anxiously.  
"I'm sure you're both curious to know why Ginny is here in the first place... It's her own fault really, spilling out all her secrets to an invisible stranger."  
"What are you talking about?" Jessica asked. She didn't like where this was going. This person wasn't good. He didn't feel safe.  
"The diary. _My_ diary. Little Ginny has been writing in it for months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes. Even those about you, Harry." He smirked when he noticed Jessica narrowing her eyes slightly. "It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven year old girl. But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic. Ginny simply loved me."  
"Someone's got issues." Jessica mumbled, earning a slight glare from Riddle.  
"I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted. I grew stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than her. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her." He grinned slightly.  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.  
"Have neither of you guessed yet? Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school roosters and wrote those messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods and the cat."  
"Ginny's not the Heir. There's no possible way that she could be the Heir." Jessica insisted, not wanting to believe what she was hearing.  
"She didn't know what she was doing at first, though. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries... 'Dear Tom, I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there.', there were quite a few others too..."  
"Where do I fit in all this? Why did you want to meet me?" Harry pressed.  
"I was told about your fascinating history." His eyes wandered over to his scar. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. You have no idea how thrilled I was when you started writing to me. I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust."  
"Hagrid's our friend and you framed him." Jessica said, clenching her fists slightly.  
"Yes well, it was my word against his. Only Dumbledore didn't seem to believe it. He never was an easy one." Tom smirked.  
"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you." Harry spat. Tom chuckled in response.

"It was all useless, you know? No one's dead and the Mandrakes are probably being brewed as we speak. You lose." Jessica said, triumphantly.  
"Killing mudbloods means nothing to me anymore. My target is you, Harry. I have many questions for you."  
"Like what?" Harry was now clenching his fists also.  
"Well... How is it that you, a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent, managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"  
"Pretty amazing for a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent." Jess smirked.  
"Why does that interest you?" Harry wondered, thinking it all through slowly. "Voldemort was after your time."  
"Voldemort..." Tom said softly. "Is my past, present and future."  
Tom firmly gripped Harry's wand and began to trace it through the air, wiring three shimmering words:

_Tom Marvolo Riddle_

With a single wave of the wand, the words rearranged itself. Harry and Jessica tensed instantly.

_I am Lord Voldemort_

"It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only. You think I was going to use my filthy muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side?" Jessica suddenly felt the urge to be sick, but held it in. This would definitely be much harder to eventually explain to her friends than she'd thought. "I, keep the name of a foul, common muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch?"  
"Daddy issues, should've known." Jessica whispered.  
"Possibly not the best time for smart comebacks, Jess." Harry whispered back, thankful Tom hadn't been paying attention.  
"I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"  
"Albus Dumbledore..." Harry began slowly. "Is the greatest sorcerer in the world!"  
"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me." Tom hissed.  
"Actually, Dumbledore was driven out of the castle thanks to Mr. Lucius Malfoy being his usual annoying self. The school governors can decide who the headmaster is and I bet Malfoy was getting bored with his daily routine and decided to spice things up a bit." Jessica shrugged slightly.  
Tom irritably opened his mouth to retaliate but froze once he heard soft music coming into the chamber. The music soon grew into a loud pitch and flames were seen on top of a pillar.

"A Phoenix?" Tom wondered slightly.  
The grand bird swooped down and flew around the two students. It dropped a ragged looking thing by Harry's feet.  
"And that would be the school's old sorting hat? Yes... Very good." Tom began to laugh hysterically. The echo made it seem like there were ten of him laughing at the same time. "This is what Dumbledore sends his defenders? A songbird and an old hat? Do you feel brave, Harry? Do you feel safe now?"  
"Well I'm still here for backup if he needs me." Jessica said, rolling her eyes.  
"Now that I think about it, you look oddly familiar. Tell me little one, did your family support me back in the glory days?" Tom grinned evilly.  
"Thankfully, no." Jessica spat. "We actually have dignity."  
"We'll have to see how well that all goes for the two of you." Tom smirked. "Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Slytherin, against Dumbledore and his interesting set of gifts."  
"Harry... If you have a plan, I suggest you let me in." Jessica said, heart beating fast once again.  
Both students froze slightly as Tom Riddle turned to face the large monument behind him. Speaking in parsletongue, he summoned the Basilisk towards them. Tom gave the giant serpent its orders and watched in pure amusement as the two scrabbled as far away possible. He frowned slightly when he felt the serpent trying to ignore his orders and turned towards Ginny, grinning evilly.  
"Once you die, I will have better control of my Basilisk."

Harry tripped on his own two feet as they made their way through another set of tunnels. Jessica groaned slightly and ran back to help him up.  
"Very bad timing." She mumbled breathlessly.  
The serpent carelessly smashed through everything, trying to reach the two of them. At one point they were sent flying onto the wall opposite them. There was a loud noise erupting from the giant creature and they both had to open their eyes slightly to know what was going on. Jessica almost leaped when she saw Fawkes distracting the serpent, attacking in directly in the eyes.  
"If it's blind then we might just have the upper hand." Harry whispered.

"NO! LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE IT! THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND YOU! YOU CAN SMELL THEM STILL! KILL THEM!" Tom's voice echoed through the damp walls.  
"So much for having the upper hand." Jessica muttered as they began running away once again.  
They were hit by its tail and once again found themselves being lunged towards a wall. Harry felt something soft in his hands as he got up. He grabbed the sorting hat and placed it on his head, closing his eyes and focusing his thoughts.  
"I hate to break it to you, but I don't think that's how a sorting hat works." Jessica said nervously.  
Just as Harry was pulling the hat off, he felt something heavy fall onto his head. Jessica stared eyes wide and pulled out the object. It was a sword.  
"I think we might just survive this." Harry breathed out.  
"Have you ever used a sword before?" Jessica asked worriedly.  
"No... But I've used big knives. That might've been good for something." Harry shrugged. "We still need a plan."  
"We've got no time for deeply thought, success guaranteed plans. I'll go out and get the Basilisk's attention, you come in from the other side and attack. Just make sure you get a decent aim, otherwise I promise to haunt you forever. And I can be much more annoying that Moaning Myrtle if I want to be." Jessica began smirking towards the end of her strange planning. She prepared to move out when Harry pulled her into a very tight embrace.  
"Don't get killed out there, okay?" He whispered.  
"I won't." Jessica said, her words muffled by Harry's robes.

Distracting the Basilisk proved to be an easy task. She'd quickly made her way out of the tunnels and found herself standing right behind Tom Riddle. With a deep breath, she pointed her wand towards him. He spun around quickly and attacked before she could: _Expelliarmus! _  
"Not very wise, little one." He smirked.  
Jessica noticed the Basilisk had stopped its movements once Tom had turned around. She felt something twinge inside her and hoped she wouldn't be sick right then and there. The feeling didn't subside as the Basilisk grew even more still.  
"Only the Heir can control it." She said, mostly to herself. Her eyes widened slightly.  
"You doubt that this Basilisk belongs to me? Even now, after I literally set it after you?" Tom laughed.  
"I bet you've realised you don't have full control of it though... Because if you did, it wouldn't be still like a statue." Jessica smirked.  
Tom furiously spun round and ordered the snake to find Harry once again. Thankfully, the time it had been still had been enough for Harry to climb high enough to kill it. The Basilisk fiercely approached him and he began frantically waving his sword around.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM NOW!" Tom yelled angrily.

_Don't kill him. He isn't what you're after. Stay still and you shall be rewarded._

She wasn't sure what made her think that way. She wasn't about to reveal herself and try to speak Parsletongue. She wasn't even sure if it worked. She did realise Tom Riddle growing more anxious as the Basilisk slowly halted. Harry took the chance to lunge forward. At that moment, the Basilisk freed itself from the momentary trance and went to attack Harry.  
"HARRY!" Jessica cried, falling to her knees.

_Still. Stay still. I ORDER YOU TO STAY STILL!_

The Basilisk grew slower as it got closer to Harry. Harry painfully pulled himself off the ground and raised the sword, stabbing it on the roof of its mouth. His faced cringed in pain as he pulled the sword out. The Basilisk swayed slightly before falling to the ground with a very loud thud. Jessica roughly pushed passed Tom and ran towards Harry, who was painfully crawling towards Ginny. Fawkes came flying through the chamber and landed in between Harry and Tom Riddle's diary. Harry grunted and pulled out the Basilisk's fang from his arm.  
"You're as good as dead, Potter. I am going to sit here and watch you die." Tom smirked.  
"You'll be okay. Just stay with me. Don't you dare black out, do you understand?" Jessica sobbed.  
"Don't Jess... Get Ginny and get out." Harry croaked.  
"Shut up Harry!" Jessica shouted, pulling him into a tight hug.  
"You're making me want to puke." Tom mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Even Dumbledore's bird knows you're dying. Look at it... It's crying."  
Jessica pulled away from Harry instantly and looked down towards his arms. She remembered Hermione telling her about Phoenix at some point during the night. She couldn't remember clearly because she'd been trying to get to sleep. She racked her brain for a moment before grinning widely. Harry looked up at her, understanding what was happening.  
"He's just a memory." Jessica said softly. She knew Tom could hear her. "Memories can be extinguished."  
Harry took hold of her hand and they grabbed the Basilisk's fang that lay on the ground beside them. They turned towards Tom Riddle, giving him a very, _very_ deadly glare.  
"Do you two still want a fight?" He smirked.  
They smashed the fang into the diary and watched as Tom winced in pain. They repeated the movement several times before Tom Riddle disappeared into nothing. At that very instant, Ginny sat up, breathing heavily and rapidly apologising for everything that happened.

* * *

**aaaaaaaand scene!**

**Just so you all know, yes, I know that they talk to Myrtle after teachernapping Lockhart, but I decided to change things round because... Well, I don't really know why, I just did! I was in the zone.**

**Anyway, I have no idea when the last chapter will be up... But the Third year will follow soon after, so keep an eye out for that ok? I'll see you all next time! And once again, I'm terribly sorry for taking so long!**

**Xoxo!**


	9. Come and Gone

**ATTENTION! This is the final chapter for Part Two of this Seven-part series! So make sure to keep an eye out for the next one! **

**So, I wasn't going to update just yet, but after I told Megan Allard that I had finished this, I got the feeling she would've killed me if I waited a while longer. In other words, you may all thank her. LOL (great, now I look like the bad one :p) **

**So Meg, thank you for your endearing review and your fangirling over my OC's ~ aww voce gostou da troca de ordem *-* Que bom! Porque ate fiquei pensando - iih.. nao sei se ta legal essa troca hm - mas ai fiquei com preguica pura de mudar tudo :X Olha... honestamente eu re-li isso faz um tempinho entao nao lembro se o Josh aparece muito. Eu sei que pelo menos uma fala ele tem ;x maaas... Se te faz sentir melhor, o cap 1 da parte 3 ele aparece (y) Ele, a Anna... E :X nao contarei mais nada muahahaha. **

**Right! Let's get this party starteed \o. Enjoy! ^^**

* * *

**Come and Gone**

Athos wasn't really one to get involved in arguments, especially those that happened during the Governors meetings. However, when everyone had agreed on taking Dumbledore from his post as Headmaster, he'd decided to do some investigating. It actually didn't take him long enough to figure out that Lucius Malfoy had threatened them all. He smirked to himself once he'd realised that Malfoy would _never _dream of threatening him. He was a kind man, but would easily turn into a deadly beast if he ever thought his loved ones were in danger. He soon had enough proof to corner Malfoy and rid him of his post as Governor. Of course the cold man, with anger management issues, had thrown a typical fit. He even sent out a few curses towards the assistants on his way out, all which were blocked by the combined power of the Governors. Once the little scene was over, Athos allowed his body to slump into his chair. It had been a good day and nothing could change it. Or so he thought. He hadn't been expecting his wife to come rushing into the meeting room, sobbing uncontrollably.

x.x

Arthur and Molly Weasley were more than thrilled to see their youngest child alive and well. All of Ginny's brother's gathered around her, each pulling to get a hug from the little red head. Jessica and Harry gave them all the space they needed and silently waited for Dumbledore or McGonagall to start questioning them. Slumped in a corner, fidgeting with nothing in particular, was Gilderoy Lockhart. McGonagall thought he was much better off not knowing anything, though she'd never admit it.  
"They saved me, you know? It was all them." Ginny eventually spoke up, making all eyes land on Harry and Jessica.  
"I helped! I would've been there, but Lockhart got us trapped behind a dirt wall." Ron grumbled slightly, staring at the clueless Professor.  
"I believe we'd all like to hear this story, in full detail." Dumbledore smiled.  
With a deep sigh, Harry began explaining everything. Jessica allowed him to speak, feeling rather intimidated by everyone in the room. She would occasionally glance towards Lockhart and wonder if he'd ever get his memory back. No matter how annoying he was, no one deserved to live an entire life not knowing who they were.  
"What interests me the most, is how Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, seeing as he's currently hiding in the forests of Albania." Dumbledore eventually said, interrupting Harry's extremely long explanation.  
"Enchant? What do you mean? He... He couldn't have!" Arthur Weasley said, in complete shock. He was possibly even paler than he had been before.  
"It was the diary. He wrote in the diary when he was sixteen." Harry said, nudging Jessica for her to hand over the stabbed black book.  
"What did you do to it?" McGonagall wondered as she examined the object.  
"Stabbed it with a Basilisk's fang." Jessica shrugged, making a few eyes widen. Dumbledore seemed to be the only smiling by that fact.  
"Perhaps you should all get some sleep. It's been a long day. Stop by the infirmary just to make sure everything is in order." Dumbledore said as he locked the diary in one of his drawers.

Jessica let out a reasonably loud sigh once they exited Dumbledore's office. She tensed slightly when she saw her parents rushing towards her. She was definitely in for it now. Harry and Ron both made a quick exit, allowing her to handle them all on her own.  
"Thank goodness you're alright." Elena sobbed, pulling her daughter into a very tight hug.  
"What on earth is going on in that little head of yours? Going into the Chamber of Secrets as if it were an amusement park. Did you really not think this through? You could've died! What would we have done then? We'd obviously hunted down whoever was behind this, of course, but did you seriously not think about-"  
"Athos, calm down. She's fine. She's here. That's what matters." Elena said, still clinging onto her daughter.  
"We're not going to leave this as it is, Elena. Last year it was that damn stone, this year it was the chamber... What the heck is going to happen next year? Will you hunt down a zombie vampire or-"  
"Zombie vampire, dad? Really?" Jessica laughed slightly.  
Athos sighed. Elena was right, what mattered was that his baby girl was alive and apparently very well. She was quite nonchalant about everything, acting as though she was used to this happening. As if she were some sort of superhero that had to fight off the bad guys every day. No matter how extremely proud he was of his daughter, he wasn't at all amused. He couldn't help but think of how many terrible things could happen if she continued with this reckless behaviour. If only he could transfer her to a different school... But he wouldn't. He wouldn't hear the end of it if he ever dared to do such a thing. She'd throw the biggest tantrum he'd ever seen, one that would make Lucius Malfoy blush.  
"I'd love to stick around, but I'm supposed to get to the infirmary before heading to bed." Jessica smiled, finally fully releasing herself from her mother's grip. "I'll see you at the end of term!"

x.x

Hermione Granger happily skipped up to her room. It was six in the morning and she was absolutely certain that one of her best friend's was currently stuck in dreamland. She, obviously, wouldn't resist the urge to wake her up with a start. She was curious to see the reaction. And so, without much hesitation, Hermione threw herself on top of Jessica, hearing a terrified scream shortly after.

Ron was snoring reasonably loudly while Harry slept peacefully, viciously clinging onto his pillow. Their beds were right next to one another, being separated only by a small bedside table. Hermione proceeded to wake up both boys, by shaking them instead of jumping on them. Ron stared in complete shock for a good few minutes as Harry clumsily made his way out of bed.  
"You're back!" He grinned widely.  
"I am... And Jess has already filled me in. You're all insane!" Hermione said, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.  
"Well... It's your fault we ended up over there... You did the research." Ron mumbled.  
"I'm just happy you're all okay." Hermione laughed, pulling all three into a hug.

x.x

Dumbledore happily announced the cancellation of the end of year exam, assuring that no one would be harshly affected by his decision. The seventh years would still receive their qualifications. Hermione hadn't cheered along with everyone else; she still wanted to get those exams done. She didn't allow the feeling to linger on for too long, she was far more interested in Dumbledore explaining what had happened inside the Chamber of Secrets. Once the entire school was aware of the situation, their feast began.

"I wish I could've seen Malfoy's face when you set Dobby free." Ron said, munching on a piece of chicken.  
"I wish I could've seen his face when he got removed from his post as school Governor." Jessica smirked.  
"Everyone's still staring at you, Harry." Hermione whispered, sending a few glares to a few people.  
"Let them." Harry shrugged.  
"You're a hero, Harry. Who cares what they think." Ron grinned.  
"I think we're all heroes." Harry smiled.

x.x

Jessica dragged her trunk and bags towards the train and happily handed them over to Hagrid to be stored away for the journey back home. It had been an eventful year, and she was certain the next would be just as promising. She soon got a glimpse of bright blond hair and decided not to head back without properly ending things.  
"Well, well... If it isn't one of the school's heroes. Come to gloat?" Draco sneered.  
"You owe me an explanation." She said, ignoring his previous comment.  
"Do I? About what, exactly?"  
Jessica furrowed her eyebrows slightly and then turned her attention to Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle, who were all standing behind Draco.  
"Could you all give us some privacy?"  
"Come on boys, let's get settled in." Blaise sighed, dragging the other two along with him. He paused slightly at the door and turned towards Draco. "Don't blow it."  
"You mentioned something about a secret. So, explain." Jessica said, pretending she didn't notice Blaise trying to listen in on their conversation through the door.  
"Oh... That... Yeah..." Draco rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "I-it was nothing really."  
"I won't be seeing you during the summer, you know? So don't leave me hanging for six weeks." Jessica smirked slightly.  
"I just figured that we could... Never mind." She noticed he'd started sneering again and she stared at him, visibly confused. Not allowing his snotty mask to fall, he leaned down, close to her ear. "You'll thank me later."

"Leave her alone, Malfoy!" Ron called out, rolling his eyes. Jessica spun round, whipping those around her in the process.  
"Either you cut that hair of yours, or you start spinning round slowly." Draco sniggered before finally entering the train.  
"I wonder if he'll ever change." Hermione sighed.  
"Who cares? Let's get in before all the good places are taken." Ron grinned.  
"He might, you know? Change..." Jessica said, rather timidly.  
"We have until seventh year to figure that out." Harry smiled.

Jessica wondered around the platform for a while longer while the others found a decent place to sit for the next few hours. She smiled slightly when she saw Draco appear at a window. She liked seeing him with a normal expression.  
"Good call back there." She grinned. He shrugged in response. "Should I cut it then? My hair..."  
"No." He laughed slightly. "I like your hair long."  
"So I guess I have six weeks to work on my spinning then." They smirked at each other for a few seconds before the trains whistle blew.  
"Let's go munchkin!" Josh ran past, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her onto the train.

x.x

Draco was silent for a long time. Blaise was smirking at him, very amused by the situation his friend was getting himself into. Draco himself wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but it was slowly driving him crazy.  
"I think you're past the crushing, Draco. This might actually turn into love." Blaise said, eventually. He hoped it hadn't come out in a mocking way, because that wasn't his intention. He was simply fed up by all the nonsense.  
"Oh shut up." Draco mumbled.  
"But you're going to have to ease up on everyone if you're ever going to get her full attention. Especially Granger."  
"She knows me, Blaise." Draco rolled his eyes slightly.  
"I know... That's exactly why she's trying to not get mad at you for being a prick. Let's face it, next year everything will be different. The entire school respects Harry Potter and his friends because of what happened in the chamber. Your dad is no longer a school Governor, so you can't exactly get your way with things so easily anymore. Weasley somehow has managed to hate you even more than-"  
"What's your point, Blaise?" Draco rubbed his forehead, indicating he was getting quite bored with the conversation.  
"My point is, if you ever want a half decent relationship with Jess... As a friend or something more... You're going to need to remove that stick from your backside and grow up."

Draco spent a few good minutes glaring daggers at his friend. But that was Blaise. Blaise was his only extremely honest friend. He was also probably the only one that could offend Draco Malfoy without suffering the consequences afterwards. It worked both ways though. Draco soon gave up on trying to argue with his friend and leaned against the window. September would be the start of a new school year, one that he feared slightly. He soon drifted off to sleep, his dreams being filled with long dark locks and chocolate brown eyes.

* * *

**And... FIN!**

**Yes, you read it. The End :o (of course I ended it with Draco. I couldn't resist :x). Right then, I can't tell exactly when the next part will be up... However, I have written over half of it (just double checked now :p)... I just basically need to write the part where they all meet up and get ready for the new school year... SPOILERS lol. **

**So, until next time my lovely and adorable readers! I must say that I'm super excited for the next part - SIRIUS AND LUPIN! *-* Need I say more? Xoxo!**


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